PETERBOROUGH --Trent University will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its founding this fall with three special performances of the play The Bush-Ladies, compiled by Molly Thom (widow of Trent's main architect Ron Thom). Molly Thom answered media questions about the play on October 5 at Trent's Traill College - Junior Common Room, 310 London Street.

The Bush-Ladies is the story of four pioneering English gentlewomen confronting the Canadian backwoods in the 1830s. Ontario pioneers Susanna Moodie, Catharine Parr Traill, Anna Jameson and Anne Langton rank among our first Canadian women authors.

Thom originally wrote the play when she lived in Peterborough while her husband was designing some of Trent. She reworked the script a few years ago and the production went on to play to outstanding reviews at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.

Performance dates for the shows at Showplace Peterborough are as follows:

• Saturday, Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. is the 35th Birthday show event at Showplace, hosted by Trent Chancellor Peter Gzowski, and followed by a party with 60's fare and music, held at the Ministry of Natural Resources building's foyer. Sixties dress is optional. Reserved seating tickets are $35. A limited number of $3.50 tickets are available for Trent students with their student ID. All tickets are available by calling Trentıs Development Office, (705) 748-1601.
• Sunday, Oct. 17, 3 p.m. matinee, tickets are $20. However, tickets will be $3.50 for seniors and students. Contact Showplace for these tickets, (705) 742-SHOW.
• Monday's 9 a.m. performance is not open to public. But as Trent's anniversary gift to the community, all area private and public/separate high schools have been extended an invitation for their students to see the show for $3.50 a ticket.

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Distribution: Peterborough, Regional