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This week, the theater departments of three New Hampshire universities are collaborating to present a trilogy of ancient Greek dramas: Agamemnon, The Trojan Women, and Electra. We'll talk with a classics expert about the origins of the plays and their original contexts. And we'll talk with one of the plays' directors about how to present such ancient works to contemporary audiences.

Our guests are:
- Dr. Stephen Trzaskoma, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Classics Program at the University of New Hampshire
- David Kaye, Head of Acting and Directing for the University of New Hampshire's Department of Theater and Dance.

Agamemnon will be performed by Keene State College's Department of Theater and Dance.
The Trojan Women will be performed by Plymouth State University's Department of Theater, Dance and Music.
Electra will be performed by the University of New Hampshire's Department of Theater and Dance.

Here's a complete list of the performance dates:

At UNH, Durham:
Feb 21 at 7pm: Electra
Feb 22 at 7pm: Electra
Feb 23 at 7pm The Trojan Women
Feb 24 at 7pm Agamemnon
Feb 25 at 2pm Electra

At Keene State College:
Feb 28 at 7:30pm: Agamemnon
Feb 29 at 7:30pm: Agamemnon
March 1 at 7:30pm The Trojan Women
March 2 at 7:30pm Electra
March 3 at 2pm: Agamemnon

At Plymouth State:
March 7 at 7pm: The Trojan Women
March 8 at 7pm: Agamemnon
March 9 at 7pm: Electra
March 10 at 2pm: The Trojan Women
March 10 at 7pm: The Trojan Women
March 11 at 2pm: The Trojan Women

Ross Gay's new book of poetry Against Which is attracting some buzz. Ross is a Philadelphia-based poet whose heritage figures prominently in his work. His father was black, his mother is white and his writing is full of a rare poetic energy. In his own words, "There's a part of poetry that is essential and indispensable to my life." We'll talk with Ross about the ways his own poetry can radically alter his views. Ross Gay teaches New England College's MFA program in Poetry.

We'll talk with Mike Silverman, the West Coast man behind That 1 Guy. Mike studied the bass and played in jazz groups on the West Coast but wanted his bass to do more than it could. So he designed the Magic Pipe which is a seriously refashioned upright with one string and thirteen triggers that sample a huge variety of sounds. He's playing at the Stone Church as part of his US tour, we'll talk to him about the mix of music and innovation.

We're leveling the playing field for President's Day. Sure, we all know a lot about George Washington, Abe Lincoln, the Roosevelts and all our other celebrated leaders. Well, we're going to ignore all of those guys. Instead, we'll talk about some of the presidents who never get a clothing sale named after them; They served their country, often quite well, and we'll get to know them better. Our guest is Stu Wallace. He's professor of history at the New Hampshire Technical Institute.

Also, producer Amber Cortes and artist Christy Gast look back on the first ten women to ever run for the Oval Office. (Click here to visit this story at the Public Radio Exchange)

And, rookie radio producers at Chicago's Curie High School ask their peers what they would do if they got a shot at the presidency. (Click here to visit this story at the Public Radio Exchange)

***The first segment of tonight's show orignially aired February 20, 2006***

Anne Frank's story is particularly significant this week following the discovery that Anne's father Otto had tried repeatedly to get a US visa for him and his family as the Jewish Holocaust unfolded in Europ. We'll look at the relevance of the famous story through a new production of "The Diary of Anne Frank." It's being performed by the Winnipesauke Playhouse. Our guests are Artistic Director Bryan Halperin; Meg O'Brien, who plays the role of Anne; and Steve Richmond who plays Mr. Dussell and is also the board president of the Winni Players.