Decorah-area readers can join Vesterheim from home on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, for a free online discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 drama The Wild Duck. The Bokprat gathering is scheduled for 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time.
The program will be a conversation about the play, not a staged performance. Since it will take place entirely online, participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim in Decorah. The format also allows readers from across the surrounding area—and those unable to attend an in-person museum program—to participate.
Registration required for the Vesterheim event
Anyone planning to attend must register in advance through Vesterheim’s event page. During registration, participants can add the program to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
Registration may not be the final step for joining the meeting. Vesterheim advises attendees to return to the event page shortly before the discussion because the Zoom access information may change. Details saved during registration may not be the newest way to enter the meeting.
Readers joining from home should check the page again before the 7 p.m. start time to confirm the current meeting link and any other access information.
What readers will discuss
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 drama explores the relationship between an idealistic son and his corrupt merchant father.
As Werle attempts to rescue the people around him, his father’s duplicity comes to light. The effort ultimately harms the people Werle hopes to help and pushes the family toward a deeper unraveling. Those tensions give participants an opening to discuss deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life.
The play blends serious and comic elements through comedy and satire. Vesterheim describes it as realistic, while literary scholars have also connected it with symbolism. It is regarded as the first modern masterpiece in the tragicomedy genre.
The discussion may consider the family conflict and the ways humor, satire and tragedy work together. It will remain focused on discussing the drama rather than presenting it.
Part of Vesterheim’s Scandinavian literature series
The October program 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 Vesterheim’s event page, then return there shortly before Oct. 28 to verify the latest Zoom information. The free online program offers another way to take part in Vesterheim programming without attending at the museum.