Letters from Alvina Krause: February 1981

Letter
Your petits fours were a sweet Valentine. They let me feel all cozy and warm, and coddled and loved. I like it! Thank you! I eat them slowly with great relish and gloat over all the wealthy people in the world who will never enjoy the deep satisfaction in one box of petits fours.
I know you have been told that X is taking the summer off. I can understand why: he must prove to himself that he is master of himself. Ridiculous, but he needs that self assurance. And that cancels our first production for there is no one else in the company who can charm an audience as X can -- and there is no one else who can sing as X can and the entractes absolutely require it. So we are without an opener. I do not want to direct, especially in a season that is going to demand so much of me. I do not want to direct. But this is a crucial season: we are asking for donations of a quarter million dollars. I thought "Alvina Krause Directs" might be a proof of our [sic -- a word not written? -- DD] I do not want to direct Lady Audley's Secret, but this is a crucial year. We must have a show that makes the whole audience laugh together, enjoy together, go out into the lobby hobnobbing together -- and the committee comes up with no such comedy. So I choose Lady A -- believing X would be here. So -- we must find another X or another comedy that will achieve the same results. Have you got an X that you would lend us for a while? Or a comedy like Room Service or Something Happened on the Way --- cast must be small -- Who wants life to be easy?
My cast comes off tomorrow I hope -- I'll be normal again! We should throw a whale of a party!
Happy Presiden't Day! Isn't that a laugh in this Carter -- Reagan -- Haig day?
Greetings to your Candida people.
A.K.