Immediate Tragedy (1937)

Photograph of Martha Graham in Immediate Tragedy (1937).

"Not since the eloquent and beautiful 'Frontier,' first presented three seasons ago, has she given us anything half so fine as 'Immediate Tragedy'. This will be a moving dance long after the tragic situation in Spain has been brought to a conclusion, for it has completely universalized its materials. Indeed, neither its title nor its subtitle,'Dance of Dedication', has a word to say about any specific happening or locale. It is a picture of fortitude, especially of woman's fortitude; of the acceptance of a challenge with a kind of passionate self-containment. From its emotional quality one recognizes its source rather than through any external means." - John Martin, The New York Times, August 15, 1937

Premiere of Immediate Tragedy: July 30, 1937 – Vermont State Armory, Bennington, Vermont
Choreography by Martha Graham
Costume by Martha Graham
Music by Henry Cowell
Lighting by Arch Lauterer

Photograph by Robert Fraser