Decorah-area residents can join Vesterheim’s discussion of a landmark Scandinavian drama from home this fall. The museum will host a free online Bokprat conversation about Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 play “The Wild Duck” from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
The program will be held entirely online, so participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim in Decorah. Advance registration through the museum’s event page is required. After registering, attendees can add the event to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
What Decorah-area participants need to know
Registration is not the final step for joining the discussion. Vesterheim advises participants to return to the event page shortly before the 7 p.m. start because Zoom access information may be updated. Details saved during registration may therefore not be the newest way to enter the conversation.
Participants should use the event page as their final check before the program begins. The online format opens the discussion to people throughout the surrounding area, including residents who cannot attend a Vesterheim program in person.
About “The Wild Duck”
First published in 1884, Ibsen’s play centers on the Ekdal family after its fragile peace is disrupted by Gregers Werle, an idealist determined to expose hidden truths. The story 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 comes to light. But the effort ultimately harms the people Werle hopes to help and sends the family toward a deeper unraveling. That tension gives the Bokprat group several themes to explore, 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 play’s family conflict and the way humor, satire and tragedy work together. Those subjects provide the foundation for the October conversation rather than a performance of the drama.
Part of Vesterheim’s Scandinavian literature series
The event is part of Bokprat, Vesterheim’s recurring online book group focused on Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. The museum announced the October program in August 2026.
Anyone planning to attend should register through Vesterheim’s event page and revisit that page shortly before Wednesday, Oct. 28, for the latest Zoom information. For Decorah-area readers interested in Scandinavian literature, the free at-home discussion offers a way to take part in Vesterheim’s programming without attending at the museum.