In celebration of Scandinavia House’s 25th anniversary, SATC is proud to present a staged reading of In Our Place by acclaimed Norwegian playwright Arne Lygre. The reading will feature special guest actor Rakel Benér Gajdusek, who has worked regularly at Dramaten (The Royal Dramatic Theatre) in Stockholm since 2015.
Astrid has shared a long and intimate friendship with Eva—a bond that has shaped them both. But when Astrid meets Sara, a fragile new connection begins to form, challenging the boundaries of their worlds. Who can they be to one another? Is it possible for them to hold a greater and more meaningful place in each other’s lives? In Our Place is a piercing exploration of the human need for connection: our desire to be seen, to hold space for one another, and to find our own identities reflected in the eyes of others. Beneath its delicate surface lies a quiet, universal fear: the dread of being left out, of being replaceable, and of ultimately ending up alone.
Produced in Norway at Nationaltheatret in Oslo in 2023, at Den National Scene, Teaterkjelleren, Bergen in 2024 and as a touring production with Riksteatret in 2025, In Our Place also had a successful run at Stadsteatern, Stockholm in 2025.
SATC has a long-standing history with Lygre’s work. In 2013, SATC produced a staged reading of his play Then Silence at Scandinavia House, which successfully developed into a full Off-Broadway production at Theatre Row in 2016. SATC is thrilled to bring Lygre’s latest powerful work to our audiences.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Arne Lygre (b. 1968) is one of Norway’s most prominent playwrights and authors. He made his debut in 1998 and he has received great attention both nationally and internationally. He has written several novels, and his 16 plays have been translated into 20 languages. His drama is known for its stylistic originality and ability to depict the universal human with both warmth and pain, in a minimalistic, poetic style. Arne Lygre was awarded The Telenor Culture Prize 2025 for his exceptional ability to capture humanity in language and create space for community and recognition through the performing arts. As a playwright he has won prestigious Norwegian awards including The Hedda Award for Let You Be in 2017, and The Ibsen Prize for I Disappear in 2013 and again in 2024 for In Our Place. He has also won several awards as a novelist, including The Brage Award in 2004, The Mads Wiel Nygaards Legat in 2009, and the Dobloug Prize in 2025, and he was nominated for the 2025 Nordic Council Literature Prize.
ABOUT THE SATC
Scandinavian American Theater Company (SATC) is a non-profit theater company founded to provide Scandinavian perspectives through the new generation of Scandinavian playwrights and theater artists. We present contemporary plays and inventive takes on the classics from the Nordic region, which includes Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. They are committed to strengthening the relationship between Scandinavia and the United States through collaborations and interdisciplinary artistic exchange that examine and challenge the cultural status quo. SATC has been presenting their SATC Contemporary Reading Series at Scandinavia House since 2011.
Photo—Arne Lygre (credit Tine Poppe)