The Boys Are Back

Faced with the daunting task of passing the rigorous examinations necessary to achieve entry into Oxford, a group of English schoolboys receive instruction from two teachers who hold diametrically opposing viewpoints on education. Irwin, the special tutor, believes that generality and a well-timed quote are all that’s necessary to bamboozle an examiner; the kindly Mr. Hector believes that the purpose of education is to learn, not just fake it, and he attempts to instill in his pupils a life-long appreciation for the acquisition of knowledge. The History Boys, Alan Bennett’s bright and funny play about working class boys facing adulthood, challenges the idea of life as an examination that must be passed or failed – in Bennett’s view, life is an ongoing class until that final bell rings. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents The History Boys at 8 p.m. Thursday, September 6, at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves; 314-968-4925 or www.repstl.org). Performances continue through Sunday, September 30 (no shows on Monday); tickets are $14 to $63.
Mondays. Starts: Sept. 10. Continues through Sept. 30, 2007