Gladys practicing her turkey for Hedda Gobbler
Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright whose works have become part of the modern classic repertoire and second only to William Shakespeare in how frequently they're performed across the world. While his verse play Peer Gynt combined folklore and fantasy, his later works were noted for their realism and sometimes psychological approach to character conflict. These include The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder, An Enemy of the People, and especially A Doll's House (focusing on the collapse of a marriage and the wife seeking to escape male expectations).
References[]
- In Sesame Street Episode 1829, Gladys the Cow is off to audition for the lead (a turkey) in Hedda Gobbler.
- Composer Edvard Grieg's incidental music for the original 1876 staging of Ibsen's Peer Gynt have become classical compositions in their own right. They have been included in Sesame Street Music Magazine Vol. 3, No 7, Rowlf's Very First Book of Classic Themes, the book and audio set Bert and Ernie: Soft and Loud, and the CD Elmo and the Orchestra.
- Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) lists Ibsen's work among the things he can read during a speech in Episode 3368 of Sesame Street.
- A duck actor in Episode 3989 says (in quacks translated by Big Bird) that she starred in The Wild Duck.
Connections[]
- Nis Bank-Mikkelsen played Jørgen Tesman in Hedda Gabler (Danish TV, 1980)
- Christa Berndl played Ella Rentheim in John Gabriel Borkman (German stage, 1985)
- Trond Brænne played Torfinn in Peer Gynt (Norwegian radio, 1997)
- Jessica Chastain played Nora Helmer in A Doll's House (Broadway, 2023)
- Angélique de Boer played Regina Engstrand in Ghosts (Dutch radio, 1989)
- Arthur Dignam played Gregory in The Wild Duck (1983 film)
- Per Christian Ellefsen played Peer Gynt in Peer Gynt (Norwegian radio, 1997)
- Nils Eklund played Monsieur Ballon in Peer Gynt (Swedish theater, 1957)
- Jane Fonda played Nora Helmer in A Doll's House (1973 film)
- Edward Fox played Nils Krogstad in A Doll's House (1973 film)
- Paul Ottar Haga played Peer Gynt in Peer Gynt (Norwegian TV, 1993)
- Pat Hingle played Dr. Wangel in The Lady from the Sea (Broadway, 1976)
- Earle Hyman played Halvard Solness in The Master Builder (Broadway, 1992)
- Jeremy Irons played Harold in The Wild Duck (1983 film)
- Ingvar Kjellson played Relling in The Wild Duck (Swedish theater, 1975)
- Eren Ozker played Kaia Fosli in The Master Builder (Off-Broadway, 1971)
- Austin Pendleton directed John Gabriel Borkman (Broadway, 1980) and played Dr. Kroll in Rosmersholm (Off-Broadway, 2010)
- Lynn Redgrave played Mrs. Aline Solness in The Master Builder (Broadway, 1992)
- Vanessa Redgrave played Ellida in The Lady from the Sea (Broadway, 1976)
- Richard Thomas played Peter Stockmann in An Enemy of the People (Broadway, 2012)
- David Warner played Torvald Helmer in A Doll's House (1973 film)
- Sam Waterston played Torvald Helmer in A Doll's House (Broadway, 1975)
- Fritz Weaver played Peer Gynt in Peer Gynt (Broadway, 1960)
- Paxton Whitehead played Torvald Helmer in A Doll's House (Off-Broadway, 1963)
- Mai Zetterling played Hedwig Ekdal in three BBC Radio versions of The Wild Duck (1950, 1954, 1955)