Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) is credited with almost single-handedly modernizing Western theater in the late 19th century. Born to a wealthy merchant family in Norway, he saw his father brought to financial ruin when he was 7, a theme that colored many of his plays. His early efforts bore little fruit, but he kept working in Oslo’s theater scene until he finally found success with his 1865 play Brand, followed quickly by his script for Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt. His taste for taboo subjects in plays such as A Doll’s House and Ghosts made him the subject of controversy, but his plays injected a new degree of realism and psychological insight into European drama that was almost unknown during his time.