Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a major
19th-century Norwegian
playwright, theatre director, and
poet. He is often referred to as "the father of
realism" and is one of the founders of
Modernism in theatre. His major works include
Brand,
Peer Gynt,
An Enemy of the People,
Emperor and Galilean,
A Doll's House,
Hedda Gabler,
Ghosts,
The Wild Duck,
Rosmersholm, and
The Master Builder. He is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after
Shakespeare, and
A Doll's House became the world's most performed play by the early 20th century.