"I've learned more from other people, but it was Dr. Ballard who got me interested in acting," Whalen said. "She really did start my passion and really fueled my desire to be an actor."

Weiss credits Ballard for showing him the significance of theater -- even to a high school student.

"She was really the first person I met so fully dedicated to theater," he said. "She made me realize that theater was something more than just art -- that it was something important."

As for the future, both Weiss and Whalen plan to keep pursuing their interests in theater, one way or another.

Weiss, who has one more year in college, said he plans to take a leap of faith after graduation.

"My current plan is to go to Chicago and try my luck for a while," he said. "I'm going to try and establish some connections, audition for some shows -- try my luck for at least a year or two and at least get out there."

Whalen, who has already produced a full-length documentary in Kenya's capital city Nairobi, is set to head back to Africa soon and expects to spend about six months in Rwanda where he'll be filming another documentary for a new faith-based nonprofit called Millennium Congregation. After that he plans to teach underprivileged kids in the New York City area.

"One of my ultimate goals is to facilitate the integration of drama into education programs," Whalen said. "Especially involving topics like AIDS, HIV and drug abuse."

Andrew Knittle 366-3527 aknittle@normantranscript.com