Residents of Decorah and the surrounding area can join Vesterheim from home Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, for a free online conversation about Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 drama The Wild Duck. The Bokprat discussion will run from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time and will examine the play itself rather than present a staged performance.
Because the program is entirely online, participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim in Decorah. The format also allows people across the surrounding area—and those unable to attend an in-person museum program—to participate from home.
Registration is required
Anyone planning to attend must register in advance through Vesterheim’s event page. The registration process allows participants to add the program to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
Registration may not be the final step needed to enter the meeting. Vesterheim advises attendees to return to the event page shortly before the discussion because the Zoom access information may change. Information saved during registration may not be the newest way to join.
Attendees should check the event page again before the 7 p.m. start time to confirm the current meeting link and any other access information.
A family drama shaped by hidden truths
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 comes to light. The effort ultimately harms the people Werle hopes to help and pushes the family toward a deeper unraveling. Those events create a basis for discussing deception, betrayal and disillusionment in modern life.
The drama combines serious and comic elements through comedy and satire. Vesterheim describes it as realistic, while literary scholars have also connected it with symbolism. The play is regarded as the first modern masterpiece in the tragicomedy genre, giving the discussion an opportunity to consider how humor, satire and tragedy work together.
Part of Vesterheim’s Bokprat 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.
Readers interested in participating can register through Vesterheim’s event page and return there shortly before Oct. 28 to verify the latest Zoom information. The free online program offers a way to take part in Vesterheim programming without attending at the museum.