The smell of fresh cut grass. The sound of helmets and pads cracking against one another. The roar of the crowd. For many high school boys, Friday night football is life. It becomes their identity. Marc, the main character of Southern Theatre’s current production of Praying for Rain, is no exception.

Unfortunately for Marc, a motorcycle accident that takes place one week before. It strips him of his opportunity to play football his senior year. Marc starts to feel as if his identity has been taken away.

Feeling this loss, Marc begins to hang out with some people who are not a good influence on him. The decisions he begins to make are not healthy ones.

After getting caught up in criminal activities, Marc spends some time in detention with teacher Miss K. She begins to encourage Marc to make good choices. The teacher becomes his “saving grace,” says student director Rachel Roberts.

Senior theatre major Roberts is directing Southern’s first production of the spring semester.

“I chose this specific play for the design elements and the staging opportunities,” Roberts said.

Praying for Rain, by Robert Lewis Vaughan, opened Tuesday and runs through tomorrow in the Bud Walton Theatre. Curtain is 6:30 p.m.

The production has been rated M for mature, due to some explicit language and action scenes.