Kicking off their 16th season of new plays, dubbed "Visions of Peace," the Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey present a new musical. Susan Dworkin and Mel Marvin's The Book of Candy plays at the Madison, NJ theatre Nov. 1-18.

Based on the Book of Esther from the Bible, the tuner follows a Long Island housewife who comes to the realization that she's not satisfied with the world she lives in. Among the characters from her life we encounter are her pontificating mother, her unfaithful gynecologist husband, her Israeli moving-man lover, politician friends and admirers in the Mob. Lauren Mufson stars as the title character.

Dworkin contributes book and lyrics for the show, adapted from her novel of the same name. Composer Marvin handles the music. The production, directed by Ahvi Spindell, is a co-production with Trenton's Passage Theatre Company.

The rest of the season at PTNJ includes James Glossman directing his adaptation of The Special Prisoner from the Jim Lehrer novel, (Feb. 7-24, 2002) and Karen Sunde's How His Bride Came to Abraham (May 2-19, 2002). Ken Marini directs.

For tickets to The Book of Candy at PTNJ, 33 Green Village Road, call the box office at (973) 514-1787, ext. 30. For more information on all their shows, visit them online at www.ptnj.org. — by Ernio Hernandez