Summary

In an in unexpected turn of events, Williams went into the hospital for emergency surgery to correct "thrombosed hemorrhoids" and sank deeper into depression. The failure of "Camino Real" as well as his continued frustrations in his relationship with Frank Merlo had worn him down; he was exhausted and claimed his plight was "retribution for all my misdoings and the things undone." The usual combination of leisure and travel in Europe failed to work their magic and Williams remained in a funk. He was completely open about his dependency on alcohol and Seconal. Even Williams' religious immersion in his work wasn't adequate to scare away the blue devils.

Williams dusted off his manuscript of "Battle of Angels," reworked and rewrote it, and renamed it "Orpheus Descending." When he sent it to his agent, Audrey Wood, her reaction was very negative. The playwright...