The historical overlap of Henrik Ibsen’s rise as a global literary figure, the “great migration” of Norwegians to the United States, and its implications on identity has seldom been examined in scholarship. Through archival research and contextual analysis this presentation looks at how Norwegian- Americans entangled Ibsen with their ethnic identity through symbolic and creative processes, occurring on the stage and through other ethnic social institutions. This entanglement was initiated and
maintained by Norwegian-American mediators and members of Norwegian-American interpretive communities. Archival research for this study led to the discovery of over sixty previously unknown Ibsen performances in the US and sheds light on how Ibsen was used as a means of reflexivity for Norwegian-Americans. By tracing Ibsen’s significance through the press, cultural organizations, and the theatre in the context of ethnic identity and migration, new considerations emerge in understanding Ibsen’s reception in the US.
Kayla Amity Hanson completed her master’s degree in Ibsen Studies in 2025, and is currently a guest researcher at the Centre for Ibsen Studies at the University of Oslo. She was a Norway-America Association (NORAM) fellow for 2024–25 and received a stipend from the MAP project at the National Library of Norway to conduct archival research for her thesis, Henrik Ibsen and Norwegian- American Identity, 1880–1950. She also holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts from Portland State University.
Please note that this seminar will be streamed. For remote participation, please register at this link no later than October 15. A Zoom link will be sent on the day of the seminar.