Poetic performance and intersemiotic translation: Brodsky and Baryshnikov on stage

Abstract

This article analyses the performative adaptation of the poetry of Joseph Brodsky, 1987 Nobel Laureate in Literature, in the theatrical production Brodsky / Baryshnikov, directed by Alvis Hermanis and performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov. Drawing on the concept of intersemiotic translation (Roman Jakobson), the study analyses the transposition of a poetic text into scenic, corporeal, and sonic languages, with particular focus on the poem “Butterfly” (1972). The analysis addresses the interaction among word, body, voice, space and light, showing how the performance generates new meanings from the source text without relying on literal equivalence. The article argues that the theatrical adaptation operates as an embodied reading of Brodsky’s poetry, in which the performer’s body works as a semiotic medium. The staging also articulates reflections on time, memory and ageing, key themes in Brodsky’s work, reconfigured within a performative context. The production constitutes a paradigmatic case of intersemiotic translation, where fidelity is conceptual and atmospheric rather than textual.