Love and the Lebanese Hostage Crisis

Lee Blessing's play "Two Rooms" was awarded Time Magazine's "Best Play of 1988." It tells the story of an American professor who is kidnapped by Shiites, and the efforts on the part of his wife to secure his release. It raises questions about love when conflict keeps two people apart and serves as a reflection of issues related to terrorism and human dignity that are timely today. We'll talk with Director Bryan Halperin of Winnipesaukee Playhouse and actors Megan Gaffney who plays the role of Lainey and Andy Nogasky who plays the role of Michael, her hostage husband in an upcoming production of "Two Rooms" about the work's relevance. We'll also talk with Joseph Hitti, a former American University of Beirut graduate student, whose experiences in that city during the 1980's mirror the sense of fear and uncertainty apparent in "Two Rooms."

The online audio for this program is an extended version of the program broadcast on July 18, 2007.