From Antifascism to Myth in the Work of Martha Graham (1938-1953)

FAIN: FA-55468-10

Mark Franko
Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1077)

A study of the mature choreographic output of dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. I examine her antifascist politics in "American Document" (1938) and "Appalachian Spring" (1944), her use of myth in "Night Journey" (1947) and the psycho-dramatic aspects of "Dark Meadow" (1946) and "Theatre for Voyage" (1953-55). I use unpublished letters, notes, and librettos to analyze these works both artistically, biographically, and psychologically. Research will be undertaken at the Library of Congress, Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts Dance Collection, and the Martha Graham Archive in New York City. The project will culminate in a monograph study to be published as a book.