The University Players 2013/14 season promises a little bit of everything—hysterical comedy, poignant drama, thrilling mystery, and even theatrical fantasy.

The fast-paced farce Suite Surrender by Michael McKeever opens the season September 19 to 29. It’s 1942, and a swanky Palm Beach hotel is preparing for a wartime extravaganza performance with two of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities. But plans are thrown into chaos when the rivalling performers are mistakenly booked into the same suite! This award-winning comedy comes alive with mistaken identities, overblown egos, double entendres, and even a pampered little lap dog.

Taking the stage at Hallowe’en is a modern tribute to Agatha Christie by playwrights Marcia Kash and Doug Hughes. A Party to Murder runs October 24 to November 3. Six people arrive at a cabin on a private island for a weekend of harmless murder-mystery fun—until the game suddenly takes on a sinister reality. A 25-year-old unsolved mystery begins to haunt the proceedings and it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Secret passageways and dead bodies propel this captivating tale towards an unexpected and terrifying conclusion.

A theatrical adaptation by Rufus Norris of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Sleeping Beauty rings in the holidays November 21 to December 1. Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess who was loved by everyone. Well… almost everyone. This gleefully gruesome retelling of the classic fable is told from the point of view of the mischievous, flatulent Fairy Goody, a smelly old sprite who casts a spell that sends Beauty into a deep sleep. Expect fairytale romance, hideous ogres, sinister spells, and a magical holiday show like no other!

In the footsteps of last season’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde’s deliciously witty satire A Woman of No Importance runs February 6 to 16. Set amongst the splendour of an English estate, the play lays bare the moral inconsistencies of Victorian society. The devilish Lord Illingworth is keen to appoint young Gerald Arbuthnot as his personal secretary, but the revelation of a long-hidden secret forces them to face their pasts and admit some hard truths. This brilliantly biting comedy unfolds into a high class scandal, where all is to be revealed.

Anton Chekhov’s beloved masterpiece Three Sisters, March 6 to 16, brings us to a small village far from Moscow where a family longs to return to the life that they once had. The three sisters make every attempt to escape the cold and barren country life that they've been forced to adopt in favour of their warm and inviting past. This timeless classic is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the resolution to rediscover one's sense and purpose.

A comedy by Alan Ball, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of American Beauty, True Blood, and Six Feet Under, closes out the season April 3 to 13. Five Women Wearing the Same Dress brings us to an ostentatious wedding reception in Knoxville, Tennessee, where five reluctant and identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below. These five very different women discover a common bond in this wickedly funny and sincere celebration of friendship and acceptance, sex, drugs, and wedding bells.

Subscriptions are now on sale; call 519-253-3000, ext. 2808, or visit www.UniversityPlayers.com.

To help celebrate the University of Windsor’s 50th anniversary, the University Bookstore is offering DailyNews readers chances to demonstrate their knowledge of the institution’s history.

Today’s quiz, the second in a series, offers one lucky winner a beautiful all-cotton T-shirt, emblazoned across the chest with the new UWindsor logo. It is available for purchase from the Bookstore kiosk in the CAW Student Centre at a cost of $13.96.

To enter the contest, just send your answers to the following trivia questions on the history of some campus buildings. The winner will be selected at random from all correct responses received by 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 18.

1.      What is the former name of the building now known as Chrysler Hall?
a) Canada Hall
b) Centennial Tower
c) Dominion Hall
d) Windsor Hall

2.      Which of these is not a now-demolished UWindsor residence?
a) Cody Hall
b) Electa Hall
c) Huron Hall
d) Tecumseh Hall

3.      Lambton Tower and Erie Hall once shared a name. What was it?
a) the Math Building
b) the Media Centre
c) the Arts and Sciences Building
d) Windsor Hall

4.      A plaque in Memorial Hall commemorates former students of Assumption College who gave their lives in which conflict?
a) First World War
b) Second World War
c) Korean War
d) all of the above

5.      Vanier Hall is named in whose honour?
a) Jesuit missionary France Vanier
b) former Governor General of Canada Georges Vanier
c) Catholic philosopher Jean Vanier
d) baker and businessperson Joseph-Arcade Vachon

Contest is open to all readers of the DailyNews. Send an e-mail with your responses to uofwnews@uwindsor.ca. One entry per contestant, please. Note: the decision of the judge in determining the most correct response is inviolable.

For more information on the 50th Anniversary Weekend, visit www.uwindsor.ca/anniversary.

Downloadable posters available to promote UWindsor anniversary celebration

The Office of Public Affairs and Communications has developed a series of tools and templates to help departments and individuals Join the Celebration of the University’s 50th anniversary.

The selections include files in MS Word for letterhead and memos, in PowerPoint for slideshows and presentations, and graphics for use in e-mails, as web banners and for computer desktops.

Most recently, designer Renée Bombardier added a series of posters in 8.5" x 11" and 11" x 17" formats.

“These materials are available for people to make all their communications reflect our excitement about the coming anniversary events,” she said. “I hope that people use them and find that they make their lives a little easier.”

Find the resources and more information on the 50th Anniversary materials website. The Celebration Weekend runs September 19 to 22. To request a design not posted on the site, contact Jennifer Ammoscato at 519-253-3000, ext. 3242, or Jennifer.Ammoscato@uwindsor.ca.