CHRISTIAN VALUES by Bobby Del Rio, directed by Nicole Stamp, with Scott McCord, Keira Loughran, Sandra Forsell and Nicholas Carella. Presented by Filthy Mexican Productions at the Helen Gardiner Phelan. July 6 at 9:30 pm, July 8 at 10 pm, July 9 at 2:30 pm, July 10 at 4 pm, July 12 at 6:30 pm, July 13 at 8:30 pm, July 14 at 2 pm.

A couple of weeks ago, Nicole Stamp and Bobby Del Rio graduated from university. To hell with the diplomas. The two ambitious upstarts have already made a mark on the local scene, and they're about to get hotter with their show Christian Values.The eagerly anticipated show -- featuring a fine cast that includes Scott McCord and Keira Loughran -- was inspired by Del Rio's two-day stint as a Web site salesperson.

"It was death, it was hell," he says about the experience.

"I wanted to be doing something creative. My boss told me stories about how he used to play the guitar. I made up this whole scenario in my head, quit and began writing the play."

Despite the play's title, religion isn't a big theme.

"The play is more about morality," says Stamp. "It's about passion, fidelity, the promises you make to others and to yourself."

It's also about following your heart and soul instead of your wallet, a choice that's crucial for any young artist, including Del Rio, who sold newspapers door-to-door for two years, and Stamp, who briefly telemarketed for a credit card company.

"You can convince yourself that you're only doing something so you can make that short film or start that theatre company," argues Stamp. "But at the same time, you could probably get by if you did work that was more related to your field. You owe it to yourself to do that."

In fact, I first met Stamp when she was a juggling front-of-house manager at one of the summer fests. Her confidence, enthusiasm and dramatic flair (witness the juggling) were also evident in her production of Del Rio's When Children Fall at last year's SummerWorks.

"I learned that the value of my input was more than pretty pictures," she says about that play. "That's why I like directing new work. You can affect the product."

Neither of them wants to play the ethnic card -- they're both mixed race and have lots to say about limited opportunities, but now is not the time or place to rant, they agree.

Nor does Stamp want to hear only praise for her work.

"I'd rather people ask me why I made certain choices, or why we're doing something," she says. "Theatre is a collaboration, not just with the people working on the show but with the audience, too. Praise is great, but if you're not sensitive to the audience, you're basically wanking."