Prodigal Son Story

Libretto by Boris Kochno 

George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son is a dramatic masterwork. The story was the idea of Boris Kochno, Serge Diaghilev’s assistant and frequent artistic collaborator. His libretto is based less on the biblical account and more on a passage from Alexander Pushkin’s short story, The Stationmaster (1830), in which the author describes engravings depicting scenes from the parable that hang in a postal station somewhere in Russia. Read on to learn Kochno’s story of Prodigal Son. 

Scene 1 

The Prodigal Son quarrels with his father and departs in the company of his two false friends. 

Scene 2 

The Prodigal Son meets with a number of acquaintances and takes part in their feasting. A Siren enters and seeks to captivate him with her dancing.

A male dancer wearing a white, pleated skirt stands in a deep lunge. He is embracing a female dancer wearing a red leotard, pleated skirt, white tights, and a dramatic headress. The male dancer burys his head into the female dancer's chest, and her head is thrown back.

His two friends entertain the guests. The Prodigal Son dances with the Siren. She and his friends tempt him to drink to excess until he falls into a stupor. His false friend, the Siren, and the guests strip the Prodigal Son of all his possessions.   

Two dancers wearing green tunics lean on each other. Their bodies are bent slightly forward as if moving in a playful manner, and they each have one arm extended over their heads. Behind them, a female dancer in a red leotard sits on a table, leaning twoards someone out of frame.

The Prodigal Son, recovered from his debauchery, wakes and bemoans his miserable plight, and then, completely distraught, resolves to return home. When he has departed, his false friends, the Siren, and the guests return to parade the plunder taken from the Prodigal Son.     

In this striking image, a dancer leans against a wooden post. Their eyes are closed, and their head hangs down exhausted. The stage around them is dimly lit, and many hands reach twoards them out of the darkness.

Scene 3 

The Prodigal Son, penniless, heartbroken, and exhausted, returns home to be welcomed and forgiven by his father. 

A dancer with long white hair wearing flowing yellow robes holds another dancer in their arms. The dancer being held wears tattered brown garments, and embraces the older dancer as they are held.

Prodigal Son celebrates its 95th anniversary this year! Come see the ballet that’s been moving audiences for nearly a century at PNB’s ALL BALANCHINE program, running November 1- 10th, 2024. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets!

Photo credits: James Yoichi Moore and Laura Tisserand, photo © Angela Sterling. Ryan Cardea and Ezra Thomson, photo © Lindsay Thomas. James Yoichi Moore and PNB Company dancers, photo © Lindsay Thomas. Otto Neubert and James Yoichi Moore, photo © Angela Sterling.