"The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins was the first of the so-called Sensation Novels. It is a melodrama, full of mystery, romance, heroes and heroines who demonstrate integrity and overcome adversity, and despicable villains who seek to destroy others for their own benefit. It was published at the same time and in the same magazine as Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," and the two novels share some remarkable traits, including lookalike characters and contrasting settings. The playwright has conveyed both the plot and characters of Collins' classic novel, but has also made an effort to retain the style, diction, and vocabulary of the original as much as possible in order to bring the story to the stage. Royalties are $50 for each performance and are payable to the playwright.