For Dan Rector, the academic learning comes during the school day and the magic starts after the last bell rings.

Rector, 17, is a member of the Ballard High School Drama Program which rehearses at the end of the school day. He just finished a demanding lead role in "On The Razzle," and is now rehearsing for the spring production of "Guys and Dolls."

Not all his creativity happens on the stage. During his quiet times as a writer, Rector has authored "The Queen of No Man's Land," to be presented during the upcoming ACT (A Contemporary Theatre) Sixth Annual Young Playwrights Festival.

"It's a surrealist drama," said Rector. He describes the play as "Apocalypse Now meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead." In other words it's a black comedy.

"The Queen of No Man's Land," is about two soldiers in the middle of a war who are trying to find the body of an officer killed during battle. "As they look for the body, they run into strange supernatural characters-ghosts and witches. It's the horror of war with weird supernatural things going on," said Rector.

This is Rector's second play for the Young Playwrights Festival. Last year his play "No Mayo," was selected. "No Mayo" is about a man living in a future dictatorship. "He is a complete idiot who does not understand what is going on. He complains there's too much mayo on the municipal cafeteria sandwiches," said Rector.

Rector is a veteran of the school's drama program. His list of shows include: Hello Dolly; The Skin of Our Teeth; Arsenic and Lace; and Oklahoma.

"We do a lot of classics. We practice everyday for two months," said Rector.

"Oklahoma," was his first big role as the character Judd Fry. "That was a lot of fun. It was a very serious character in a lighthearted play. It's fun to be a bad guy," said Rector

As Judd Fry, Rector said he learned stage fighting and sang a few songs while scowling and acting evil during the play.

In the musical "Hello Dolly," Rector was not a lead character but managed to improve his singing skills. "It's difficult being an extra in a musical. Musicals are intense with complicated blocking and singing in the right pitch. It's not as rewarding as being a character with lines, but you have to put just a much effort into it," said Rector.

The Ballard High Drama Program does quality work. "We don't have the most prestigious drama program in the city but we put a lot of effort and professionalism into it," said Rector, who plans to go into acting and writing when he graduates.

The ACT Sixth Annual Young Playwrights Festival is March 6-8. "The Queen of No Man's Land," is part of Program B, Friday, March 7, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 8, 4 p.m. There are three other student plays in the program.

Visit http://www.acttheatre.org.