Decorah-area readers will be able to join Vesterheim’s next Bokprat discussion from home when the museum explores Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 drama The Wild Duck on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. The free online program is scheduled for 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time.
The event will take place entirely on Zoom, meaning participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim in Decorah. The online format also opens the conversation to readers throughout the surrounding area and to people who cannot attend an in-person museum program.
Registration is required
Anyone planning to participate must register in advance through Vesterheim’s event page. The registration process allows attendees to add the program to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
Registration should not be considered the final step for joining the discussion. Vesterheim advises participants to check the museum’s event page shortly before the program begins because Zoom access information may change. Details saved during registration may not provide the newest way to enter the meeting.
Participants joining from home should return to the event page before the 7 p.m. start time to confirm the latest connection details, including the current link or any other access information.
What the discussion will examine
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 explores 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. His effort ultimately harms the people he hopes to help and sends the family toward a deeper unraveling. Those conflicts give the Bokprat group an opportunity to consider deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life.
The drama combines serious and comic elements through 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.
Discussion may include the family conflict and the way humor, satire and tragedy work together. The gathering is a conversation about the drama, not a performance.
Part of Vesterheim’s Scandinavian literature series
The October event is part of Bokprat, Vesterheim’s recurring online book group focused on Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. The museum announced the October selection in August 2026.
Decorah-area readers interested in Scandinavian literature can register through the museum’s event page and return there shortly before Wednesday, Oct. 28, to verify the latest Zoom information. The free program offers another way to take part in Vesterheim programming without attending at the museum.