"Robert Frederic Schenkkan, Jr." is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1992 for his work The Kentucky Cycle, and his drama All the Way (play)/All the Way earned the 2014 Tony Award/Tony Award for best play.

More Robert Schenkkan on Wikipedia.

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.

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.

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.

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.