Residents of Decorah and surrounding communities can join Vesterheim from home Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, for a free online discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck. The Bokprat program is scheduled for 7 to 8:15 p.m. Central time and will focus on the play itself rather than offer a staged performance.
Because the event will be held entirely online, participants will not need to travel to Vesterheim in Decorah. The format also opens the discussion to people throughout the surrounding area, including those who cannot attend an in-person museum program.
Registration required for the online event
Anyone planning to participate must register in advance through Vesterheim’s event page. During registration, attendees can add the program to Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook 365 or Outlook Live.
Registration may not provide the final information needed to enter the meeting. Vesterheim advises participants to return to the event page shortly before the discussion because the Zoom access details 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. The source material does not provide a separate Zoom link.
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 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. That effort ultimately harms the people Werle hopes to help and pushes the family toward a deeper unraveling. Those developments provide a foundation for examining 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, giving the Bokprat conversation an opportunity to consider how humor, satire and tragedy work together.
Part of Vesterheim’s Bokprat series
The October discussion 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.
The program is free, but advance registration is required. Readers interested in joining should use Vesterheim’s event page to register and revisit it shortly before Oct. 28 to verify the latest Zoom information. The online format allows people to take part in Vesterheim programming without attending at the museum.