International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts
Société Internationale des Bibliothèques et des Musées des Arts du Spectacle
The Heritage of Ibsen
Trine Naess
The Theatre and Theatre Collections / Le théâtre et les collections de documents
International
Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing
Arts
16th International Congress, London, 9-13 September 1985
Proceedings of the Congress
Société Internationale
des Bibliothèques et des Musées des arts du spectacle
16ème Congres Internationale, Londres, 9-13 september
1985
Procès-Verbal
London 1986, pp. 46-48, [French abstract], pp. 49
Some time ago two American gentlemen visited the Theatre Museum of Oslo, asking for pictures of Henrik Ibsen. Disappointment and astonishment plainly showed on their faces when an Ibsen-portrait - even a cartoon - of moderate size was pointed out to them, hanging among other portraits of Norwegian directors and theatre leaders in a cabinet in the museum called the "Office of the Theatre Administration". Neither photographs from Ibsen-productions, nor the well-worn costume of a celebrated Norwegian Nora actress caught their interest. They obviously expected to find a vast collection of impressive portraits and mementos of the far-famed dramatist dominating the museum. More astonishment was expressed by the two gentlemen when they were told that some Ibsen-material had been removed to make room for other exhibits.
This small incident may be, to a certain degree, characteristic of some attitudes towards the Ibsen tradition in Norwegian theatre: We certainly acknowledge and depend on his greatness and importance as a dramatist, but at the same time it has been necessary, and still seems to be necessary, for the Norwegian theatre to emancipate itself from his impact, regarding the writing of plays and the style of acting and staging. In this context the live theatre naturally plays the leading part, but also the theatre museums and other institutions working with theatre documentation may contribute.
In Norway there are several institutions holding Ibsen-material: the University Libraries in Oslo and Bergen, and - theatre material - particularly at the archives of the Department of Theatre Research, University of Bergen, which is closely connected with the Theatre Museum of Bergen, and in the Drama collection at the University Library in Oslo, which lends material to the Theatre Museum in Oslo, though being separate institutions.
The theatre museums in Bergen and Oslo were founded respectively in 1919 and 1922. Both of them have recently reopened in new premises after periods of being closed to the public, in Bergen five, in Oslo four years ago.
Thus both the museums got the opportunity of rearrange their exhibits, and to choose new principles and perspectives for their representation, being aware of their responsibilities in creating an image of the national theatre tradition and the local theatre traditions in Bergen and Oslo respectively. These images certainly would be of importance in a country without a strong consciousness of its relatively short, but important theatrical history. They also would be able to point out lines of development from the past to the present, inviting to consider their positive and negative aspects.
If an obvious tradition should be mentioned, it certainly would be the "Ibsen tradition" - in these days likely to have a negative bearing. The concept, of course, is a complex one, with many issues and modifications.
Especially relevant to the theatre museums, there is a fact to be stressed that Ibsen as well as his contemporary Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, started their careers as directors and leaders of new and important theatre enterprises, contributing to establish a Norwegian theatrical tradition.
For about four hundred years (1380-1814), Norway was united with Denmark, and from 1814 to 1905 was in union with Sweden. During these periods Norway had no king and court of its own, and there were no theatre-loving princes to encourage or finance the building of theatres and to support companies of actors. The country had a small population, and public theatres could not be sustained even in Oslo and Bergen until the nineteenth century. Theatrical activities of permanent character came with the dramatic societies from 1780 and onwards. The development of the professional theatre in Norway coincided with a national cultural movement which opposed the influence of Danish art and language. For many decades the primary aim of Norwegian theatre was to create a national dramatic literature and to educate Norwegian actors who could practise the Norwegian language on stage.
In both these issues Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson played important parts. The museum in Oslo as well as in Bergen have made points of presenting Ibsen as a man of theatre, who acquired a fundamental, practical experience with the stage, first at the new theatre in Bergen, then at Mølergaten Theatre in Christiania - as the capital was called then. Both were theatres which decided to engage only Norwegian actors, not Danish.
To focus upon the importance of Ibsen as one of the founders of an independent Norwegian theatrical tradition - even before he had his decisive break-through as a dramatist and grew to international fame - is certainly an element contributing to the self-confidence and feeling of identity of the still comparatively young Norwegian theatre. It can also to some degree counter-balance the vast mass of literary research which Ibsen has been subject to from generation to generation of impressive scholars.
Returning to the concept "Ibsen tradition", the negative understanding of it may be prevalent among people working with theatre in Norway today, seeing it as an element which has retarded and inhibited the development of Norwegian theatre. Primarily we understand by this notion a realistic tradition, a verbal tradition, excluding genuine means of expression in the art of the theatre, as poetry, imagination, colour, rhythm and movement. Unjust as this may be to Ibsen, considering f.i. a play so rich in theatrical effects as "Peer Gynt", the image of his general style has been drawn from his contemporary plays, stressing their realism and intimacy, not their symbolic elements.
In 1918 the Swedish poet and playwright Pär Lagerkvist described the typical Ibsen-drama, referring to his drawing-room conversations with dissections of character and conflicts, as "silent trotting on carpets with words, words, words, during five long acts". In most countries the theatre recovered from the "Ibsen disease", as Lagerkvist called it, which had spread epidemically in Europe. But in Norway the recovery took time. In the opinion of several people, we have still not recovered.
Norwegian playwrights trying other means of dramatic expression than those of the "Ibsen style", have complained that their plays have been refused by the theatres or let down by the critics. But the assertion gradually seems to get the character of myth. About a year ago an exhibition with material from the Drama Department of the University Library in Oslo was presented with the purpose to disprove the myth, showing through a varied selection of documentary material that a considerable number of Norwegian plays in the anti-realistic, anti-psychological style had been put on by the theatre since the death of Ibsen to these days, and that many of them had enjoyed success.
The rigid realism in the style of acting and staging which has dominated Norwegian theatre for generations, is said to be a result of the Ibsen impact as well. But this is also a truth to be modified. In the twenties - in the years about the Ibsen-centenary in 1928 modest anti-realistic trends were visible in some of the Ibsen productions. Realism, however, prospered for many years, not least, thanks to brilliant performances by Norwegian actors in the traditional style - both regarding Ibsen productions and generally. But in the years around the next Ibsen jubilee in 1978 a fundamental process of liberation seemed to have taken place in the attitude to Ibsen's plays, partly owing to the advance of a new generation of actors, directors and scenographers. Quite significant was the general acceptance of the rather sensational adaption of Hedda Gabler by Charles Marowitz into sequences of dream-like situations exposing the secret mind of Hedda, which was performed both in Bergen and Oslo. Naturally such lines of development lend themselves easily to exhibitions, showing patterns of progress.
The point in this context, of focusing the relationship between a capital theatrical tradition, the Norwegian theatres and institutions working with theatre documentation, has been to make clear the possibilities of the latter to carry out an active policy towards the theatres, as well as to the public. They should not only collect and preserve material from the existing theatres, continually adding to their collections, but quite consciously and actively use it to help the theatres to see their functions in context of traditions, so to speak "put a mirror up to them" The obvious duty of the institutions working with theatre documentation is to accumulate and distribute information. But they should also be aware of their power to administer traditions. Negatively and evilly they easily may do so f.i. by suppressing material or by less eagerly collecting material from certain theatres or groups of theatres. But positively they may by exhibitions or other means of presenting material contribute to the making of traditions by pointing out lines of development. Presenting a theme in an official institution like a library or a museum also contributes to make this theme "official" or legitimate. The matter is not only how the material is presented, but the fact that is is presented. This principle of course, is valid in several other fields of documentation. But pertaining to the documentation of arts, the performing arts hold an unique position in the respect that the objects - the productions - must be reconstructed, involving even greater responsibility in the work of documentation.
L'Heritage d'Ibsen
Trine Naess
En Norvège il y a des différentes institutions qui possèdent des documents d'Ibsen: Les bibliothèques universitaires d'Oslo et de Bergen, mais le matière théâtrale se trouve surtout au Département Théâtrale. La Bibliothèque de l'Université d'Oslo, qui prête des objets au Musée Théâtrale d'Oslo, en dépit d'être deux institutions séparées, et au Institut de Recherche Théâtrale de l'Université de Bergen, qui est intimement lié au Musée Théâtrale de Bergen.
L'histoire du théâtre en Norvège est relativement brève: au XIXe siècle il s'agit pour la plupart de se libérer de l'influence danoise, et de développer un théâtre national après l'union avec Danemark.
C'est important pour les musées théâtraux norvégiens d'accentuer la part active d'Ibsen jeune dans ce procès de libération, ainsi donnant de la confiance et de l'identité au théâtre d'aujourd'hui: q'il était homme de théâtre - metteur en scène et directeur de théâtre, pas seulement auteur dramatique.
C'est une tradition positive, mais le concept de "la tradition ibsénienne" a une signification négative aussi en Norvège. C'est à dire la tradition d'un style réaliste et verbal, disséquant des caractères et des conflits. Cette tradition a longtemps dominé l'art théâtrale en Norvège, et le domine encore, dans une certaine mesure. "La maladie ibsénienne", comme on l'appelé, a empêché l'épanouissement de la fantaisie et de la poésie sur la scène. On s'est concentré sur ses drames bourgeoises, accentuant ses traits réalistes, non symbolistes, ainsi conservant aussi un style réaliste chez les acteurs et les metteurs en scène en Norvège.
On a dit que les auteurs dramatiques norvégiens qui écrivent dans un style non réaliste, non ibsénien, avaient été refusé par les théâtres et attaqué par les critiques.
La tradition ibsénienne
en Norvège peut servir comme exemple du devoir des
institutions qui s'occupent de la documentation des arts
du spectacle, d'attirer par des expositions et autres
types d'information, l'attention aux traitions négatives
et positives, pour ainsi contribuer à la connaissance de
soi-même des théâtres existants. C'est à dire, servir
comme une sorte de "miroir corrigeant" vis-à-vis
des théâtres vivants.
URL: http://www.theatrelibrary.org/sibmas/congresses/sibmas85/london85_02.html
Last updated: 27.11.2002
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