Most students currently attending Penn State consider themselves babies of the '80s, but imagine experiencing your late-teen years in that "radical" time.

This Is Our Youth is an internationally performed play about three teens on the brink of adulthood living in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in 1982. It will be performed tonight through Sunday in room 6 of the Arts Building under the direction of Jennifer Case (senior-theatre arts).

The stage is set to look as any young adult's apartment might -- there are Coke cans strewn everywhere, pictures and posters randomly displayed on the walls and an unmade bed. This is the home of Dennis and Warren, two teens who seem to have lost their way.

"Dennis is kind of a past high school hero," said Gary Brintz (senior-theatre arts), who plays Dennis. "He's a has-been. He finds joy in solving Warren's problems, but at the same time, bullies him and points out all his faults. Oh, and he's a drug dealer."

Sean Bradley (junior-theatre arts), who plays Warren, describes his character as a college dropout who shadows his friend Dennis because he's the only family Warren really has.

"They don't really do a whole lot; they don't go to school; they kind of just float through life," said Case, who directed and designed the show for her senior project.

Case said she chose this show because she feels many of its issues, such as drugs and dealing with parents, sex, death, money and friendship, are still relevant for today's youth.

"I also love this time period and music, and I fell in love with the characters in this show," she said. "It's just a really truthful and honest piece."

Characters Dennis and Warren find they've gotten themselves in too deep when Warren steals $15,000 from his abusive father. He takes the money to Dennis, who decides they should buy cocaine with it to make even more money.

While this is occurring, Warren is getting more and more involved with his love interest, Jessica, played by Lindsey Broad (junior-theatre arts), and ends up blowing the money on a night out before sleeping with her.

"Jessica is a typical, young, neurotic New Yorker who falls victim to a teenage match-making scheme," Broad said.

Things get more complicated for the teens when an acquaintance dies of a drug overdose and they have to find another way to pay back Warren's father. Warren is also faced with the fact that he has messed up his relationship with Jessica after kissing-and-telling to Dennis.

"In the end, you're kind of left with the hope that maybe Warren will get out of the situation and go home and start over, but unfortunately it's pretty clear that Jessica and Dennis will not," Case said.

Cast members said they felt that even though the show takes place in 1982, young people today would still be able to relate to it.

"Doing this show has been an excellent experience," Bradley said. "It's just a gritty plot that I think will appeal to the college audience."

Brintz agrees that the audience can learn something from This Is Our Youth.

"It has a good message and that's that you can only be a child for so long," he said.