University Players has announced its 2018-19 season of six diverse shows, classic and contemporary works that highlight the theme of “Love and War.”

The season will open September 21 with Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn. It is the end of the world, and a group of friends bonded by the need to survive recall a favourite episode of The Simpsons. Not just for fans of the long-running animated series, it is a musical tribute to the modern mythology of pop culture and a darkly funny exploration of a post-electric existence.

Students at the school will also have the opportunity to work on more classic texts as they perform A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and Journey’s End by R.C. Sherriff. Theatre lovers will remember Streetcar as the tragic tale of Blanche DuBois and her sister’s husband Stanley Kowalski, as the passion and conflict between them leads them to devastating consequences. Journey’s End takes place in the trenches of WWI and will be presented to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War.

In the second half of the season, University Players will present The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. From the classic Greek tale of the Trojan War comes this alternate perspective from Penelope, the long-suffering wife of Odysseus. Atwood has given a feminist retelling of the story, underscored by music from a chorus of twelve of Penelope’s maids.

The Hatch Studio Theatre, within the Jackman School of Dramatic Art, will be the home of the fifth show of the season, God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. This funny and insightful piece begins as two couples meet to discuss the fallout of a recent event — one son has hit another in the face with a stick and damaged his teeth. What begins as a civil disagreement devolves into madness as the evening progresses.

Closing out the season is Love and Information by Caryl Churchill, a modern drama-comedy featuring 16 actors playing over 100 roles as they tell the stories of 57 different scenes.

Performances run through the year until March 31. Season subscriptions are available starting at $92, or patrons may purchase a package of three plays starting at $42. For tickets, contact the University Players box office at 519-253-3000, ext. 2808, or visit www.universityplayers.com.