For some, the prospect of attending a play can be daunting. There are usually no song and dance numbers to entertain us, comedy to make us laugh or adrenaline-pumping action sequences. But with the play The History Boys, which kicks off The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ Mainstage season, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Although not categorized as a musical, The History Boys features a surprising amount of song and dance. It’s no Chicago, but it has just the right amount of cheesy piano numbers to keep the audience awake. Not that the audience could sleep with a story as rollicking as this one.
The plot details the seventh semester of grammar school for eight teenage boys in early ’80s London. The boys are all extremely bright, promising and witty, as proven by their advanced reasoning and argumentative abilities, which are frequently showcased in classroom scenes-the likes of which most teachers only dream about. But, boys will be boys, and much of the gut-busting humor in this show comes from their raunchy behavior and dirty minds. The comedy is abundant, and you don’t need to be able to speak French to appreciate the lewd, slapstick pantomime acted out during one of the boys’ French lessons.
The show isn’t all fun and games, though, as the second act takes a serious turn. This is where the true heart of the show lies, as the boys’ relationships with each other and their teachers are examined more thoroughly.
The boys are just months away from their college entrance exams, and are hoping for acceptance from the prestigious English universities Oxford and Cambridge. To get into “Oxbridge,” as the schools are often referred to, they will need the help of their enthusiastic-yet weary-teachers, all of whom have a different approach to getting them in. As a result, tensions arise, shameful truths are unearthed and hard lessons are learned.
The main draw of Boys, however, is the undeniably relatable situations the boys find themselves in time and time again throughout the course of the show. As college students, it was not long ago that we were in the same boat as the boys, filling out college applications and dealing with the transition into adulthood. The ups and downs of planning for the future, making and breaking friendships and facing harsh realities that we are all too familiar with are covered in a thorough and touching manner during the two-and-a-half-hour run.
The acting in this production is phenomenal, as expected from a show put on by The Repertory Theatre. Thomas Carson shines as Hector, an elderly English teacher with a romantic, liberal approach to teaching. Hector has a deep passion for his pupils and his subject, and Carson puts an equal amount of passion into his performance.
Bryant Richards is noteworthy as the new young hire grappling with the boundaries of the student-teacher relationship and the consequences of over-stepping them. The talented Eric Gilde is irresistible as the charming Dakin and Jonathan Monk showcases his versatility as an actor and his vocal talent as the adorable Posner.
Not to be forgotten is the hilarious Carolyn Swift, as history teacher Mrs. Lintott, holding her own as the only female member of the cast. This production serves as a strong example of a seamless collaboration between talented actors and a director at the top of his game, the exceptional Steven Woolf.
The setting may be ’80s London, but this show is undoubtedly contemporary. Boys doesn’t shy away from anything, grappling with sex, homosexuality, defiance authority and manipulation-all the while remaining extremely entertaining. It is a fresh show, with new twists on old. But more than anything, it’s just plain exciting. The tempo is quick, the jokes are plentiful and the underlying message is one of utmost importance: that history is what we make it, and each of us has the power decide our own fate.
Whether you’re a theater-goer or not, middle-aged or just starting your college career, man or woman, gay or straight, The History Boys has something for you.
College students will be delighted and inspired by the prospects of their future while middle-aged and older patrons will be taken back in history to a time of self-discovery and coming of age. Trust me when I say that this is a class you won’t want to sleep through.
For information on The History Boys, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and how to get tickets, visit www.repstl.org or call (314) 968-4925. Shows run September 5 – 30, 2007.
