Kathmandu:

Being involved with Aarohan for the last 25 years, I have come to realise that even an organisation has a life that is quite similar to a person’s life. We went through a lot of struggles in the beginning, and looking back I feel that it was necessary as it has helped us to accomplish our goals in the long run,” says Sunil Pokhrel of Aarohan Theatre Group, which celebrates its silver jubilee this year.

To commemorate its twenty-fifth anniversary, ‘The Aarohan Theatre Festival 2007’ is being organised at Gurukul from January 23 to February 12.

Aarohan means to climb, and the theatre group’s journey has certainly been an ascending one with their popularity steadily growing among the masses since 1982. They have performed plays by Nepali writers like Govinda Bahadur Gothale, Bijaya Malla, Abhi Subedi, Ashesh Malla and Satya Mohan Joshi as well as adapted plays by foreign writers like Sophocle’s Oedipus, Moliere’s Scapan, Jean Paul Satre’s The Man Without a Shadow and The Respectable Prostitute, Camus’ The Just and The Outsider, Brecht’s The Good Women of Sichuan, Alexandre Vampilov’s The Elder Son, Junji Kinosita’s Yu-Juru, Henrik Ibsen’s A Dolls House and Master Builder among others.

Aarohan has also performed Nepali plays in countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Korea, Norway, Denmark and Russia. In 2002, Gurukul, the first school for theatre in Nepal, was opened with their combined efforts.

They had started the group 25 years ago on Basanta Panchami, and their silver jubilee celebrations will also commence on this day itself. The plays to staged include the works they have performed over the last two decades, and some of them may be performed for the last time.

Celebrations ahead

• Jivandekhi Jivansamma (From life to life): Jan 23-25

Playwright Abhi Subedi; direction Sunil Pokharel

• Jat Sodhnu Jogiko: Jan 26-28

Playwright Bijay Tendulkar; direction Anup Baral

• Mayadevika Sapana (Dreams of Mayadevi): Jan 29-31

Playwright Abhi Subedi; direction Nisha Sharma Pokharel

• Aruka Phulaka Sapana (Dreams of Peach Blossom): Feb 1-3

Playwright Abhi Subedi; direction Sunil Pokharel

• Putaliko Ghar (A Doll’s House): Feb 4-6

Playwright Henrik Ibsen; direction and adaptation Sunil Pokharel

• Agniko Katha (Fire in the Monastery): Feb 7-9

Playwright Abhi Subedi; direction Sunil Pokharel

• Tarabaji Lai... Lai... (An improvisational play): Feb 10-12

Concept and direction Morten Krog