In the mind of a teen

Marc seems like a nice guy. He was a jock, until an accident left him on the sidelines. After the accident, he took to hanging out with his old, pre-jockhood friends, whom he hadn"t lost touch with. Apparently, his jocky friends didn"t like this and turned their backs on him. So Marc transitioned from one clique to another. This is hard for Marc because, after all, he is a nice guy. He doesn"t want to feel excluded from anyone.

This is Praying for Rain, onstage at the Phoenix Theatre in their Underground space. It"s one of those post-Columbine pieces that tries to see into the mind of a teen who is capable of committing acts adults could be sentenced to death for. Though the subject matter has been worn through since the Columbine shootings, the play does work well in conjunction with Free Ticket February, which offers teens free tickets to the show. I"ve read it takes seeing/hearing/reading something 50 times to get it stuck in your memory, so a reiteration of this theme can"t hurt.

One of the problems with this production, though, is telling the difference between past and present, memory and dreamscape. The show starts off with a funky slo-mo collage that, at first, makes no sense. Later, there is a confusing scene with a couple on the bluffs. But the meanings of these scenes unfold as the show progresses and you get more clues to the workings of Marc"s mind - you must be patient.

Jayson Wickenkamp as Marc is the best of the cast: natural and relaxed in his character, while at the same time exhibiting the uncertainty that lies just below the skin of his personality.

Jamison Kay Fisher, as Liz, performs a well-written monologue with a restrained passion that makes this one of the most moving scenes of the production.

Keeping all the actors onstage, even when not in the action, adds extra layers of meaning. While Erin (Margaret Murray) is in the background, her reaction as her mom, Miss K. (Cindy Phillips), relates an embarrassing moment makes the story even funnier. Orange-red bluffs on an otherwise black stage makes for a beautifully stark contrast, being the only other backdrop embellishment besides the actors. This keeps your focus on the characters, where it needs to stay.

Praying for Rain continues through Feb. 16; call 635-PLAY for tickets.