Saturday, January 26, 2013

Letters from Alvina Krause: October 6, 1981

Context
Krause had been told to stop working because of the possibility of heart failure. She had refused. "What's the point of living if you're not doing," she said.
"My heart!" she said to me once. "I thought if would be this [pointing to her head], but not my heart [palms to chest]".

Letter
David, I have been hospitalized again. Recuperating, but not able to do biography now. [I had been asked to write a brief bio for a reference work -- DD]
But I am angry with you, very angry! Why didn't you tell me the Dean had threatened you with dismissal if I spoke what they did not want spoken. What are they afraid of? That school was my life -- My life! I brought distinction to it during a rotten regime -- At home and abroad -- My work was recognized with distinction. What are they afraid of? I would never have appeared on that platform if I had known of that threat to you. I shall never appear there again. Such a dirty, low down deed! What are they afraid of?





Footnote
AK, Lucy told me later, said the next time she would go into the hospital, she wouldn't be leaving alive.

2 comments:

  1. I was back in Tulsa on a holiday visit when I got the phone call from Joanne Blyler (BTE Board President) that Miss Krause had died. I cried, of course, and my eye started twitching. It twitched for months. Strange to say, sometimes when I think of Miss Krause, even now, it still twitches.
    It twitched a lot this last December, during rehearsals and performances of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (a lively new adaptation by our youngest ensemble member, Richie Cannaday). We were doing our first CHRISTMAS CAROL when Miss Krause went to the hospital. She was still giving notes (on rehearsals... or performances?... can't remember... she hadn't actually seen!) from her hospital bed!

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  2. This is not yet the final letter.
    I can't remember which of the BTE members told me of a group going to her house in the evening to sing Christmas carols to her and she opened the window and with a frail voice told them "I love you". And that was their last experience of her.

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