Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a play written by Thomas Russell Sullivan in collaboration with the actor Richard Mansfield (pictured). It is an adaptation of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, an 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. The story focuses on the respected London doctor Henry Jekyll, who uses a potion to transform into Edward Hyde, a loathsome criminal. Intrigued by the opportunity to play a dual role, Mansfield secured the stage rights and asked Sullivan to write the adaptation. The play debuted in Boston on May 9, 1887 and opened on Broadway in that September. Mansfield's performance was acclaimed by critics. The play opened in London in August 1888, just before the first Jack the Ripper murders. The press compared the murderer to the Jekyll character, and Mansfield was suggested as a suspect. Mansfield performed the play until shortly before his death in 1907. Sullivan made changes from Stevenson's story that have been adopted by subsequent adaptations, including film versions. (Full article...)