The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-22
Mrs. BeeCher Addresses Club
 Women On Dramatic League
Yesterday In Society-Brdge, Receptions and Teas-Mrs Crukshank Entertains- John Henley's Bridge Mrs. Horace Adams Hostess At Bridge-Mrs.
 Dmcans Tea,-Other Topics of Interest
BY MYRTLE MILES.

of plays and OF drama technique. We will have reading circles and lecture courses, and feel that possibly avenues of oppor- tuni.y may be opened up to bring about careful drama courses in the primary schools of the country
 Besides the educational feature of the work we aim to organize the theatre going membership of the women's clubs of the country and of the individual mem bers whom we hope to acquire through out the country into a body which shall faithfully support all plays receiving the leagues stamp of approval-a body which shall consider itself pledged to ignore all plays deliberately catering to indecencies or that are of no literary or structural value. The standard of judgment will be broad enough to include comedy and even farce if 1t be good material, well constructed, with no evil tendencies, re- flecting life in a manner to enlighten and improve as we'll as to anuse.
 It will labor vallantly to encourage the publication and translation of plays by furnishing reading public for plays. It can aim also to encourage the study of dramatic writing as serious voca- ton requiring special training
 This then is the drama league, the playgoers trust. as 1t has been called. It has grown amazingly because the idea has been in many minds. The air has seemed full of it. and 1t under only the rigor conditions for it to be precipitated. There have been some curious evidence in the few days since had the honor of presenting this matter to the Cadmean circle. I under stand that at the council it was de- veloped that several of the clubs had the matter already under discussion. daily paper recently gave us an able editorial on certain phases of the of- ferings of the seasIh and the little monthly issued by St. Pauls parish, published symposium by the clergy Protestant. Catholic and Jew by the president of the Theatrical Managers association, by the press. actors and playwrights all deploring and con- demning the orgies of obscurity that we have seen tolerated. To all decent observers there is protest of what the drama league Is a manifestation. It Is over concrete embodiment of a worldwide awakening to the educa- tional value of the theatre to its sig nif1cance to the human spirit It Is part of the preent reaction against mate- rialism; part of the spiritual renais- sanoe which makes us ask of all our institutions. What have you to do with the eternal thing. the human soul?"
 The line of so much of the recent theatrical criticism is so pessimistic that to be convinced as I am that we are at the dawn of better day, may seem probably optimistic. I do earn estly believe it for we have now on one side of the footlights manager, &C., tor. dramatist conscientiouslv and con- ciously striving for an advanced the atre: when we think the beautiful structure on Central park, west, Is tes- timony of respect to the dramatic art that 1t Is a conscious effoM to save the drama-the dignity and stability of the other arts-then the drama league seems logical and inevitable. We have artists like Ellen Terry. Forbesh Rob- ertson, Julia Marlowe E. H. Sothe ern, Edith Wynne Matthison. Mrs. Fiske, managers and dramatists like Percy Mackaye, Winthrop Ames, John Gale worthy. Charles Ram Kenndy all struggling to make the stage realize Its highest spiritual destiny; we have one subsidized if not fully endowed the- atre where art Is not always warding off the strangle hold of the box of- ice.
 Among the many noted at the Iec- ture were Mrs. c. P. Orr, president of the Council of Women's clubs, who in troduced Mrs. Beecher in her usual de- lightful manner: Mrs. George Blinn, Mrs. Fred Shepard Mrs. J. U. Hardeman, Miss Lucy Downey Mrs. c. T. Randall, Mrs. J. B. Raulston, Miss Louise Rushton, Mrs. Brooks Forbes Miss Edna Smith, Mrs. A. R. Dearborn. Mrs. Horace String fellow. Mrs. Richard Johnston, Mrs. T. Qs-Harrison. Mrs. Lee Slaughter, Mrs. E. T. Shaw. Mrs. Sellers. Mrs. Leo Steiner, Miss B. A. Allen Miss Willie M. Allen, Mrs. T. J. Haley. Mrs. Houston John ston and many others