What Will Happen to the Children? deals with the crises imposed upon us by (a) our mechanized electronic world with its constant breakdowns and (b) bureaucratic governments completely inept at coping with an expanding population and burgeoning metroplexes. Hinted at but never rally brought on stage is a third phenomenon of today's society: parental inability to rear children.

This "macabre view of the future involves a couple making a fruitless attempt to visit their offspring in a camp where 'all children between 15 and 19 must be in protective custody.' The Orwellian world of smog, electronic gadgets and tv warnings slowly, gruesomely entraps them. Because of a 'flush day' error by the wife, their way is barred by a world of mud sliding towards them while the President pontificates on a tv screen. It is a bitter little tale and Miss Olsher's imaginative idea is chilling."—Variety

The Los Angeles Times: "The interesting quartet of new one-acts that opened at the Evergreen Stage Friday have two things in common: They affect the pit of the viewer's stomach and they do it rather well...This play reaches its audience because it is firmly rooted in some grimly absurd realities of life in Los Angeles today." The absurd realites of life in Los Angeles are the absurd realities of life in every large city in the world.

Laura Olsher's play tells us that in the America of...when? next decade? next year?...all children between the ages of 15 and 19 will be kept in protective custody (obviously for protection of the parents). After some horrifying patricides, the play tells us that the age is likely to be lowered to 13.

Glowing press reviews greeted this play's premiere production by a professional theatre, the Evergreen Stage, in Los Angeles. Among its other honors, this play won the Norman Corwin Playwriting Award.

An exceedingly active writer, teacher, and actress, Miss Olsher did all the women's and children's voices on UPA's Magoo's Christmas Carol, which is perennially shown at Christmas. She has also recorded numerous voices for Walt Disney Studios. She is the recipient of two Peabody Awards, two Emmy nominations, and many other honors.

One act; Set, an apartment in California; Time, the present.

See also: Social Issues, Family Relationships and Environmental Plays