University Players continues its 55th season with Anton Chekhov’s haunting drama Three Sisters, March 6 to 9 and 12 to 16 in Essex Hall Theatre.

Chekhov’s masterpiece of family drama 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.

This version of the play was adapted by Canadian playwright Nicolas Billon, winner of the 2013 Gonernor-General’s Award for Drama.

“Three Sisters is as poignant and touching today as when it was written,” says the play’s director, Jim Warren. “Although times have changed, people’s need to dream, fall in love and make fools of themselves is timeless. The play speaks to anyone who has loved and lost and struggled to build a better tomorrow.”

Wednesday through Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. On Sunday, March 9, a “Talk Back” discussion with the director and actors will follow the performance. For information or tickets, call 519-253-3000, ext. 2808, or visit www.UniversityPlayers.com.

Think you know your award-winning movies? Then  why not take a shot at besting the University’s resident film expert by outdoing his Oscar predictions?

DailyNews is once again holding its annual contest for film buffs to submit their Academy Awards picks for a shot at winning some free movie passes.

The 86th annual Academy Awards will be presented Sunday, March 2. Readers are invited to try to beat business professor Vincent Georgie’s picks by predicting the winners in the following categories:

Best picture, Best director, Best actor, Best actress, Best supporting actor, Best supporting actress, Best original screenplay, Best adapted screenplay, Best visual effects. The tie-breaking category will be best sound mixing. For a complete list of nominees, visit the Oscar website.

The entrant with the most number of correct picks will win free movie passes for the Windsor International Film Festival. In the event of a tie, a winner will be drawn at random.

Georgie, who left yesterday for Hollywood to take part in the Oscar festivities, is called upon regularly by local and national media for his expertise on the marketing of arts and culture.

For the record, here are his predictions: best picture Gravity; best director Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity; best actor, Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club; best actress, Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine; best supporting actor Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club; best supporting actress Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave; best original screenplay Her; best adapted screenplay Philomena; best visual effects Gravity; best sound mixing Gravity.

Send an e-mail with your picks to uofwnews@uwindsor.ca by 4 p.m. today.

The Lancer men’s basketball team may get a bounce in its run for the provincial championship this weekend, as Ontario University Athletics named three veteran players west division all-stars.

Forward Lien Phillip and guard Enrico Diloreto join the first team, and fellow fifth-year player Josh Collins was selected to the second team. Read the full story, “Big Three named OUA all-stars,” at goLancers.ca.

Windsor will open the Wilson Cup Final Four men’s basketball championship tournament with a semi-final match against the Carleton Ravens at Ryerson University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre tonight—February 28—at 6 p.m. The winner will advance to the final, Saturday, March 1. Sportsnet One will televise all the Wilson Cup games live.

The Lancer women’s basketball team will host the Laurier Golden Hawks for the OUA west division title, Saturday, March 1, at the St. Denis Centre. Admission is $12; $10 for youths and seniors; $3 for UWindsor students with ID.

The men’s hockey team will look to even its quarter-final series against the Western Mustangs on Saturday after dropping the first of three games 3-2 Thursday. Game two is scheduled for South Windsor Arena; the puck drops at 7:30 p.m. Game three, if necessary, is back in London at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 2.

A one-hour seminar today—Friday, February 28—will give health professionals a better understanding of safety issues surrounding caring for diabetes patients.

Professor Judy Bornais, experiential learning specialist in the Faculty of Nursing, will deliver the free public presentation “Safety Issues Related to the Care of Patients with Diabetes” at 10:30 a.m. in room 203, Toldo Health Education Centre.

This interprofessional educational event is offered under the auspices of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Open School for Health Professionals as part of its series on patient safety. Please register in advance using this online form.