The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-31
NLACKFRIARS WILL
 GIVE MACBETH.HERE
University Club to Appear At
 Jefferson Iheatre
SUCCESSES OF LAST YEAR
Dramatic Organization Has Been Work ing Hard on Macbeth" and Pre- sentation Has Been Pro-
 nounced Very Able.

"The Blackfriars" of the University of Alabama have completed arrangements for their production of Macbeth, which will be given at the Jefferson theatre. matinee and night, February 20. The per- formance will be given with many prom inent people as patrons and will be an event of social as well as dramatic in- terest
 The leading roles will be taken by Prof. and Mrs. Frederick D. Losey, who have a great reputation as tragedians Profes- sor Losey has been heard several times in Birmingham in readings of Shakes pearean plays and has many admirers.
 Last year a small band of students un- der the leadership of Prof. F. D. Losey of the university, organized this club. As is known tThe Tanning of the Shrew" was produced and the cast that presented the play had the ease and bearing of veterans. This was due to the marvellous dramatic skill and educational ability of Professor Losey, who coached the play He has had great experience in this line, not only here. but at the Universities of Syracuse and Nebraska, where he was engaged in the same line of work.
 While at Syracuse Professor Losey or ganized a dramatic club. "The Boar's Head" which today ranks high among such clubs in the north. The club pro- duced "rhe Tanning of the shrew" King Lear" Macbeth" and several other plays under the direction of the gifted scholar and his wife, all of which were artistic and financial successes. In the production of Lear Professor Losey played the part of the mad king, and his work received the highest praise from the Syracuse, Rochester and New York papers. When Macbeth" was given, in addition to Professor Losey's interpre- tation of the Thane of Cawdor, Lady Macbeth was played by Mrs. Losey. who is not less gifted than her husband. Fur ther. while at Nebraska in 1907 ''The Tanning of the Shrew" was given under Professor Losey's training and several thousand dollars were cleared from the performances. These numerous successes are due in large part to the thorough ness and attention to detail which Pro- lessor Losey always exhibits and no less also to his deep and thoughtful study from a dramatic standpoint of the works of the Bard of Avon.
 For these reasons the Blackfrlars be- lieve that this years production of Mac beth'' will be pleasing one. No ex- pense has been spared to make the cos tuning and setting historically accurate; and the cast, headed by Professor and Mrs. Losey, selected with unusual care from a large number of applicants, and which has been rehearsing daily for sev- eral months, warrants the assertion that no one can afford to miss this painstak- ing, thoughtful and forceful performance of Shakespeares great tragedy.
 The club has signed contracts to appear at Selma and the Judson, as well as here, and will probably treat favorably several other propositions which are before it. Birmingham theatregoers will learn with interest that a large proportion of the leading parts are essayed by Birmingham boys In fact, almost one-third of the club halls from Birmingham.
 There are many features of the perform ance which are worthy of especial mo- tice. The play will be given entire, with absolute fidelity to detail. The audience will be thrilled to a high pitch by such scenes as the murder of Banquo, the great banquet scene, when the spirit of Banquo returns to accuse Macbeth, the thrilling battle scene, and the terrible broadsword duel in which Macduff over comes the bloody usurper. No mention of the play would be complete without calling attention to the scenes of the witches, particularly the internal in ln- cantation scene in the fourth act. In modern stagings of Macbeth the parts of the witches are often rendered insis- nificant and played by men. But In the RIackfriars' production young ladies in ternret the witches-especially selected for the part because of their penetrating sustained voices. These scenes are rem dered doubly weird by this means and are of theid kind not to be improved