University Players opens its season with the comical romp Molière Impromptu, September 19 to 28 at Essex Hall Theatre.

In this work translated and adapted by Rinne Groff from three short plays by Molière, the famous playwright and his acting company have been commissioned by the king of France to perform a new play. Under extreme pressure of a last-minute rehearsal, it doesn’t take long for chaos to ensue: the script is boring, the actors don’t know their lines, and petty spats threaten to tear the company apart.

With time running out, a staging of improvised hilarity rises to a crescendo as the actors rush to pull together a stellar performance worthy of winning the hearts of the court of Versailles.

Dora Award-winning director Jim Warren, who directed Tartuffe for University Players in 2013, is well experienced in Molière’s work.

“The comic scenarios in Molière Impromptu and the commedia dell’arte are the forerunners of our modern day comedy troupes, such as Second City,” he says. “These troupes still borrow from that rich history of improvisation and the basic humour still resonates with theatre audiences today.”

Saturday matinees are new this season. Wednesday through Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. On Sunday, September 21, a “Talk Back” discussion with the director and actors will follow the performance. Tickets can be ordered online at www.UniversityPlayers.com or by calling 519-253-3000, ext. 2808.

Windsor was just the third stop on a first Canadian tour for magician Norman Ng, and with the reaction he got, he is hoping to be back. Ng, a sleight-of-hand artist, wandered through the CAW Student Centre on Wednesday, entertaining lunchtime diners with card tricks and other illusions.

Marissa Younan, a biology and French major, said she was amazed as Ng placed a single ball in her hand and then revealed two as she unclenched her fist.

“I love magic and that was very cool,” she said.

Third-year chemistry student Melanie Tremblay was new convert to magic, watching as Ng passed an apparently solid rubber band through another stretched tight by her friend Sean Mustafa.

“Do I believe in magic? I do now!” she enthused.

Ng’s appearance was arranged by the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance and the Organization of Part-time University Students.

The Fall 2014 edition of VIEW, the University of Windsor alumni magazine, is now available online.

The cover story, “The Circle of Giving,” focuses on the University’s Annual Giving Program, set to kick off in September. The program plays a critical role in raising funds for such initiatives as scholarships, classroom upgrades, research equipment and supporting athletic teams. This edition also includes the 2013-14 donor list.

Readers will also meet Chris Hope (MBA 2009), who filmed a 2012 documentary that depicted the memories of his grandmother, Nancy Hatsumi, of the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. Graduate student Mia Sisic describes her work on coping strategies used by women who have been raped during wartime. And UWindsor researcher Roman Maev explains the fascinating technology he uses to authenticate priceless works of art.

Read VIEW now by clicking here.