Be mindful not to compare The History Boys, winner of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play, with other sentimental, treacly schoolboy fare like the 1967 film To Sir, With Love or the 1989 film Dead Poet’s Society. The History Boys seeks not to romanticize education, but humanize it, asking questions not only about the nature of education, but also the workings of the human heart, and the goals we choose to pursue.
Playwright Alan Bennett uses an English grammar school (the equivalent of an American high school) as the backdrop for his tale about differing views regarding education. While preparing for university entrance exams that will ideally gain them admission to prestigious Oxford or Cambridge University, eight foul-mouthed and sharp-tongued boys find themselves at the center of an ongoing educational debate. Their current teacher, Hector (Dave Landis), perceives education as something intended for the heart, his curriculum consisting of memorizing the poetry of W.H. Auden and Stevie Smith, the performing of classic film scenes, singing, and promoting fluency in French, which in one hilarious scene, he has them utilize by acting out a scene in a brothel. The headmaster (Stephen Huff) does not agree with this approach; instead he wants something quantifiable. He brings in Irwin (Eric Duhon) who, denouncing “sheer competence,” encourages the boys to differentiate themselves from other potential applicants by presenting alternative, controversial interpretations of historical events. “Truth,” he argues, “is no more an issue in an examination than thirst at a wine tasting or fashion at a strip tease”.
Hector complains that Irwin’s flashy approach to exam preparation is not history; it’s journalism. Hector and Irwin cannot see eye to eye regarding the purpose of education. Is education valued for its own sake or is it valued as an avenue to achieving success? Irwin says, “Education isn’t something for when they’re old and grey and sitting by the fire. It’s for now. The exam is next month.” Hector retorts, “What happens after the exam? Life goes on.” The play, however, wisely avoids casting either as the good guy/bad guy. Both teachers have their convictions, and more importantly, both have their imperfections.
The play also addresses homosexual relationships among students and between students and teachers. However, this is not a morality play, and the subject is treated less controversially than it might have been were this an American play.
The cast is anchored by strong performances by Landis and Duhon. Of the boys, standouts include DJ Hill, as Scripps, the moral compass of the group, Joe McDaniel as charismatic Dakin, the object of so many characters’ affections, and Ed Porter as the passionate Posner, whose emerging homosexuality and youth make him feel isolated from his peers and whose rendition of Lorenz Hart’s “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” and scene with Hector is heartbreakingly poignant.
Walking away from Boys, you may not have any answers, but it’s worth the price of admission to be asked the questions.
The History Boys, directed by Rhodes professor Cookie Ewing with assistance by junior Mallory Primm, features performances by sophomores Omair Khattak and Ed Porter and alumnus Michael Towle (2008). The show concludes its run at Circuit Playhouse February 15.

This article also appears on the Rhodes Codetta blog (rhodescodetta.blogspot.com). In addition to theatre coverage, Codetta features coverage on music and art both at Rhodes and in the Memphis community.