The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-12
Repertoire.

Repertoire.
 An Evening from American Fiction, 3 several programmes
 "The Lion and the Mousse (&lein).
 "The Little Minister" (Barrie).
 Peter Pan," for childrens matinee only, (Barie).
 Monsieur Beaucaire,e (Tarkington).
 Shakespeare-"As You Like It." Much Ado About Nothing" "The Tanning of the shrew," Twelfth Night
 Browning-"Saul' "Pompilia," "In a Balcony" A Blot in the Scutcheon." "The Mill on the Floss (Eliot.
 'The Christmas Carol" Dickens).
 In the new art form, with musical
 ''Enoch Arden" music by Richard Strauss (Tennyson).
 ''Das Hexenlied," music by Max schil- ling, (Ernst von Wildenbrueh).
 "Hawatha," music by Saddle Knowland 1 Coe (Percy Mackaye)
 "Parsifal," retold by Oliver Huckel. 1 CWagner).
 'Berbliot" music by Greg, (Bjornsen). 1 Birmingham's social life, notceably cos mopoltan by the constant influx of in- terestng people from all sections of 1 the country has never had the acquisi- tion of a more charming family than that of MT. and Mrs. Leonard T. Beecher of New York city. They have taken a house on Iroquois street and while they have only been in Birmingham a few weeks-Mrs Beeeher and her little son arriving the latter part of December they have already drawn about them circle of congenial friends.
 Mr. Beecher is not only fond of liter 1 ature, but is an art eonnoissieur and critic, while it is to Mrs. Beecher that the world of letters owes large debt of gratitude for her illuminating work as an interpreter of literature. Mir. and Mrs. Beecher have resided in New York city for several years. Quite long enough to begin to love tito have 1 friends" said Mrs. Beecher a little wist- fully. This, her first visit to the south, is due to the fact of her husbands con ! nection with large steel corporation, which has recently acquired properties in this district. Their stay in Birming- ham will be indefinite but for the pres- ent winter at least they are residents of this city.
 Mrs. Beecher's high rank as an inter- preter of literature, her Browning and Shakespeare readings, and her varied repertoire, is admitted by many of the most discriminating critics. Indeed she is | regarded by many as an artist of such proportions that her methods have been compared with Scott Siddons. She is said to stand in a distinct class in this es- pecial field. English and American men of letters regard her as at the head of the new school of interpretative art.
 Her professional work has been con- fined so far to the east and west. After graduating from the Northwestern School of Oratory she taught for year in a normal school and afterward became a member of the faculty of the North western university, where she became the center of a brilliant group of students. Her methods of dramatization and adap- tion attracted the attention of appreca- tive critics everywhere and the charm and fascination of her art soon established her securely as an interpreter of uner- ring instinct. Her scholarliness was pro- nounced unusual.
 Mrs. Beecher's work is on spiritual plane. She makes the differentiation of characters a spiritual one, and in doing so. departs wholly from the usual meth ods of the reader, methods constrained, commonplace.
 "Take Your woman's voice." she says. with what range 1t has, and with the colors already there, paint the whole pie ture. Let the character live before the hearers without any straining for fal- setto effects in the vain attempt to rep resent a woman or any forcing of the voice down into the chest to signify that a man is speaking. Often painting, whole composition is spoiled by note of color that stands out too prominently; so in reading"
 Mrs. Beecher does very little talking in her interpretations; she lets the author do his own talking But it is through her art, and her intelligent grasp of the real attitude of the author, her conscientious 1 study of their characters that her meth ods of interpretation have, It is said 1 given new appreciation of the reader s art, as we'll as illuminating many mas terpieces of literature.
 i To authors as evolved as Browning, it ], is evident from Mrs. Beecher's apprecia- i tion that her readings would give genuine l delight to all Browning lovers. And what l color she must give to Shakespeare, can l well be imagined, after hearing her | analyses of certain characters. The in- tricate language of Shakespeare, the dif- l ficulties admitted in merely speaking the l lines, have made her Shakesperains in- terpretations distinct triumphs. Even in ordinary conversation she reveals singu- lar beauties in language, in profound l philosophy, in deep emotions.
 And what charming repertoire she has