Residents of Decorah and the surrounding area can take part from home when Vesterheim hosts a free online discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 play The Wild Duck on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
The Bokprat conversation is scheduled for 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time. Advance registration through Vesterheim’s event page is required, and the program will be held entirely online, so participants will not need to travel to the museum in Decorah.
How to join the online Bokprat
After registering, attendees can add the program to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live. Vesterheim’s event page will provide the information needed to enter the Zoom conversation.
The museum advises participants to return to the event page shortly before the 7 p.m. start. Access details may be updated, and attendees should not rely only on information saved during registration.
The online format allows people throughout the area to participate from home, making the discussion accessible to residents who cannot attend at Vesterheim in person.
What Ibsen’s play explores
First published in 1884, The Wild Duck follows the Ekdal family after its fragile peace is disrupted by Gregers Werle, an idealist determined to expose hidden truths. The play examines the relationship between an idealistic son and his corrupt merchant father.
As Werle tries to rescue the people around him, his father’s duplicity is revealed. The effort ultimately harms the people Werle hopes to help and pushes the family toward a deeper unraveling.
Those tensions give the discussion several themes to consider, including deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life. The drama combines serious and comic elements, including comedy and satire. Vesterheim describes the work as realistic, while literary scholars have also connected it with symbolism.
The play is regarded as the first modern masterpiece in the tragicomedy genre. Participants may also discuss the family conflict and the way humor, satire and tragedy work together.
Part of Vesterheim’s Scandinavian literature series
The October meeting is part of Bokprat, Vesterheim’s recurring online book group focused on Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. The museum announced the program in August 2026.
Anyone planning to attend should register through Vesterheim’s event page and revisit it before Wednesday, Oct. 28, for the latest Zoom access information.