Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a four-act 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, then opened on
Broadway in September of that year. Mansfield's performance as the dual
character was acclaimed by critics. The play opened in London in August
1888, just before the first Jack the Ripper murders. Some press reports
compared the murderer to the Jekyll-Hyde character, and Mansfield was
suggested as a possible suspect. Mansfield's company continued to
perform the play in the US until shortly before his death in 1907.
Sullivan made changes from Stevenson's story that have been adopted by
many subsequent adaptations, including several film versions that were
derived from the play.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Jekyll_and_Mr._Hyde_(1887_play)>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
328:
Athanasius became the Patriarch of Alexandria.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_Alexandria>
1877:
An 8.5 Ms earthquake struck the northern portion of Chile,
resulting in the death of 2,541 people, including victims of the ensuing
tsunami as far away as Hawaii and Japan.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1877_Iquique_earthquake>
1964:
Ngô Đình Cẩn, de facto ruler of central Vietnam under his
brother President Ngô Đình Diệm before the family's toppling, was
executed.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng%C3%B4_%C4%90%C3%ACnh_C%E1%BA%A9n>
1977:
The Hotel Polen in Amsterdam was destroyed by fire, leaving 33
people dead and 21 injured.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Polen_fire>
1992:
An underground methane explosion at the Westray Mine occurred
in Plymouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, killing all 26 coal miners who were
working at the time.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westray_Mine>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
anuran:
(batrachology) Any amphibian of the order Anura; a frog, a toad.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anuran>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is said there will be no more war. We must pretend to believe
that. But when war comes, it is we who will take the first shock and buy
time with our lives. It is we who keep the faith.
--Richard McKenna
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_McKenna>