RL, Robert Lantz, 111 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019 - Sending a cheque for [per diems for 'Black Comedy'] the week ending 25 Dec. 1966-15 Jan. 1967 for PS's account, cc'd to PS and Alan U. Schwartz.
The Lantz Office, 200 West 57th Street - Suite 503, New York, NY 10019 - Putting on record the information that Martin Gottfried has accepted that while Peter was flattered by his interest in writing PS's biography, PS did not want to permit it; is copying the letter to Alan Schwartz.
Forwarding copies of letters between Maya Gordeyeva and Robert Lantz, Oct. 12-24 1981 relating to two translations of 'Amadeus', one for each version published in the UK and the USA.
Western Union, New York, NY - With admiration and thanks for the night's extraordinary theatrical experience ['Equus']. Telegrams from Betty [Bacall?], Arvin Brown, Clive Hirschhorn, Ted Kotcheff, Eddie Kulukundis, Sherlee and Robbie [Lantz], Pat Macnee, Mary Ann Madden, Hal Prince, Leo de Rothschild, Harold Schiff, Carolyn [Shaffer?], Nellen and Brian [Shaffer], John Springer, Margaret and Jule Styne, Nick [?], Tony and Gen [?], Sidney and Gail [?].
The Lantz Office, 200 West 57th Street, Suite 503, New York, NY 10019 - Hopes to hear he is coming back soon, wishes him a happy and productive year, happy birthday to his mother. Dictated but not read.
cc: Peter Shaffer
Faxed letter.
cc: Peter Shaffer
[Image of the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles on front] - Long journey, he and [Eric?] Pleskow go to Universal today, to New York tomorrow.
With a compliments slip from Robert Lantz.
An auspicious day, the mail brought PS's letter and Robbie [Robert Lantz?] sent the reviews [of 'Equus'], and his mother left the country for three weeks: 'All I need now is to see an eagle tearing a lamb in the sky'; is delighted the Shaffer-Dexter combination has scored again, give his congratulations to John Dexter, [Harold] Hobson's review gave him pleasure; has been watching the Watergate hearings and the total effect is not all negative, repelled by corruption but impressed by the quality of the senators on the Ervin Committee and the 'good guys' among the witnesses; drive out and enjoy the view with Tom on weekends, are building a house, which includes a room for Peter and Paul [Giovanni], a bucolic setting, 'cows outnumber queens a hundred to one', a welcome change from the Ile de Feu; has had the Dubuffet photographed but would like to go slowly with its sale as summer is a slow time. Give his love to Paul and Carolyn and Tony.
[Image of a cassoulet and its recipe] - Thinks he, or Louise [?], or P. Wood [?] may find this useful.
The Lantz Office, 200 West 57th Street, Suite 503, New York, NY 10019 - Conveys a message written by Peter on 30 Oct. 2002, thanking him for the copy of 'The Z Thing' with its kind dedication to him and his play about another great composer; was dismayed to see the play has to do with the life and death of Tchaikovsky, which he has been working on for over six years; has done immense work to get it right, has done several elaborate re-writes, the first dating back to 1996, with research that preceded that; does not feel he can read the play, and thinks it best to remain ignorant of his work, and returns the play with his apologies. Lantz encloses a postscript in Peter's hand, which he believes should go to Wood as written.
Encloses a letter from Theater Voices dated 6 August 1997 concerning radio broadcast rights for 'Lettice and Lovage.'
[Image of the prophet Jeremiah in the Moissac Abbey] - Finds Moissac a wonder, asks if Peter has been; all well but his leg.
His hopes to obtain the rights to 'Lettice and Lovage' with Maggie Smith in the role.
[Image of sculpture by Constantin Brancusi on front] - Welcomes him to London, hopes PS and Peter Hall agree on a schedule and a cast; Paris is lovely, Brancusi is moving.
Enclosing a copy of a letter from Eugene Frenke to Peter Shaffer dated 17 Feb. 1966.
cc: Peter Shaffer
Thanks him for his letter, of course he wrote his truest feelings to Robbie Lantz, remembers the last performance of 'Amadeus' at the National, PS's visit to his dressing room, and his own determination to express gratitude for a peak experience as an actor.
The Lantz Office, 200 West 57th Street, Suite 503, New York, NY 10019 - Is writing late on Wednesday so that it can be sent by International Federal Express as soon as Lawrence [?] types it; was watching the Gala Performance to end the Mostly Mozart Festival on 'Live from Lincoln Center' and it featured a five minute clip from 'Amadeus'; will try and get a videotape so that he and Milos [Forman] can see it; begs him not to be the only enemy his plays have, knows he is distressed about certain critical misstatements, but they come from a minute minority and every masterpiece suffers from them; urges him not to let a few reviews silence him, 'Shrivings' just needs one more look by its creator; no other living playwright has a record like his; Tom Stoppard, whom they both admire, writes self-consciously, 'without the hot pulsing blood that is in the veins of your work'; he will write to Buckingham Palace to have his knighthood removed 'as there is no glory to him and his name that can be bestowed by others'; urges him not to go into a corner but instead start writing again.
[Image of Villa Gallici, Aix-en-Provence on front] - Describes the 'gorgeous accommodation', tells him to come at once, 'it's the solution to all problems; asks if he has found a new home.
Forwarding an email from Gavin Plumley to Dennis Aspland enclosing an article on Thea Sharrock from the Times Online.