While the level of the Zone's juggling is incredible, what makes or breaks a performance like this is the comedy. And although Wee and Morse are pleased with the comedy element of their show, they want to make it even better. Right now, they see people as appreciating the show in terms of the juggling first, and the comedy second. Ultimately, they would like to see those rankings reversed. "We'd like to get to the point where people say 'those guys are really funny, and they're great jugglers,''' said Wee.

Performing has been good to the Passing Zone.  While most of their work has been in southern California, they have done renaissance fairs around the country, and in January did shows at several colleges in the Midwest. Both men enjoy working together, but they also enjoy the basics of performing. "I think there's nothing more exciting than being on stage and doing a show that really kills, when you have a whole crowd just going nuts. We often just realize that we can't think of anybody who has a better job than us. We love what we're doing," said Wee.

But performing is by no means new to either of the two. Wee has been performing since he was about 14 and had been juggling for only a year and a half.

He and two friends in his hometown of Northfield, Minn., became "Three of Clubs" and worked at the Minnesota Renaissance Fair. "We were really pretty bad, but they thought 'we'll let them in,''' he says.

After a few years, he and Kaj Fjelstad continued to perform as "Two of Clubs." Wee also performed for two summers with Tuey Wilson before teaming up with Morse.

Morse, on the other hand, always worked solo before he met Wee. He began performing as a sophomore in high school, when he worked up a 15-minute routine to music and got work through a Hollywood entertainment agency. The routine had a sports theme, and for Morse, it was more than just a juggling victory. "I think of myself as being quite shy, and it was a big step to get up in front of people," he said.

That show got him work at shopping malls and similar venues around  Southern California for several years. In 1986, he began working at Disneyland, a connection which has continued to payoff in appearances for the Passing Zone. But now that the two have gotten together, their focus is on the future. Although their ultimate goal is to be on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Morse and Wee are presently just working on getting bookings and improving and expanding their show.

It is in this search for new material and routines that they are forced to think not only about what they would like to do, but also about what the viewing audience would like to see. And they are quick to note that the audience is not necessarily fascinated by the same ideas, or even the same objects, as are jugglers.

"Although we jugglers like to do the balls, rings and clubs stuff, most people don't relate too well to those objects because they're especially made for juggling. Your average person thinks it's neater if you juggle something like tennis rackets or chainsaws or something they can relate to," said Wee.

As they look toward their future, the two men are obviously excited about what is to come. You can tell by talking to them only briefly that they are pleased with the way their career is going, and confident that it will continue to rise. "At this stage, we're really ready to take off and do great things," says Wee. And when you turn on your television set that night, and see them performing, don't say we didn't warn you!

(Dave Jones is about to graduate from Grinnell College and come to either the IJA convention in Los Angeles, or the European convention in Oldenburg).