Robert Schenkkan Quotations

He was the chief architect of the Fugitive Slave Act -- though he abhorred slavery. Runaway slaves could be returned to their masters no matter where they were, no matter how long they had been living free. It was violently detested. There were riots.

You don't just take material from another author and put it on the stage when you do an adaptation. You have to deepen character and motivation; you have to create action and dramatic moments.

Abigail is the conscience of the piece. Her father has tricked Jabez into an impossible situation. He can't marry Abigail unless ... well, I don't want to give too much away, here.

In the play, Jabez is just the bait. To get out of his contract, Jabez hires this famous lawyer, Daniel Webster. From the Devil's standpoint, Webster is the real prize.

The devil -- or Scratch, as he is called -- approaches Jabez on what you might call the worst day of his life.