LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- The Rider University Theatre will present a production of the 19th-century comedy Candida on Thursday and Friday, April 17 and 18, and Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26. The curtain rises for each show at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre on the Lawrenceville campus.

Candida was written in 1894 by George Bernard Shaw, the 1925 Nobel Laureate in Literature who is also known for his works Pygmalion, The Philanderer, and Heartbreak House. Regarded as a masterpiece of high comedy, Candida recounts the soulful love-sickness of 18-year-old Marchbanks for Candida, the Parson's wife. The Parson is at first amused, then incensed as the young poet gains his wife's favors.

Through the years, the character Candida remains one of Shaw's remarkably modern heroines, while the play as a whole is hailed as one of his greatest triumphs.

Miriam Mills, adjunct assistant professor of fine arts, will direct the cast of Rider students.

"Although the play was written more than 100 years ago, it is extraordinary in the way it views the world and women in particular," said Mills. "People tend to be afraid of classics -- however, this play is very modern and is one to which people can relate."

Admission is $10 to the general public and $5 for faculty, staff, and students. A special preview performance is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m., with tickets only available at the door for $4. Advance ticket information for all other shows can be obtained by calling (609) 896-5303.

Rider University's Lawrenceville campus is located five miles south of Princeton and three miles north of Trenton on Route 206 in Lawrence Township, NJ. The campus is one-half mile south of exit 7A of Interstate 95.