'The History Boys'
Summary
British Brains
Article
My nose always wrinkles slightly at the word “dichotomy.” It’s right up there with “existential” and spelling “oh” without the “h” and all those other words that are reminiscent of the de rigueur of a pretentious English essay. Having said that, however, The Centre Theatre Group’s new production of Alan Bennett’s Olivier and Tony Award Winning The History Boys is, in allrespects, a consummate dichotomy.
Set in a boy’s Sixth Form Catholic College in Thatcherian England, The History Boys concerns the colorful, corpulent Hector (Dakin Matthews), an eccentric freewheeler of an English professor whose “subjunctive” approach to teaching (which often involves more song and play than writing essays) is based largely upon his distaste of exams, which he finds indecent, and a personal desire to make an impression on his students which will last their lifetime. His professional nemesis Irwin (Peter Paige) is, in addition to being Hector’s physical opposite, a history professor whose practical teaching methods focus sternly on the lip-service required to get his students to pass the Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams (as is the ultimate purpose of Sixth Form) by urging them to distance themselves from long held convictions; in Irwin’s classroom Stalin could well have been a good guy and the Holocaust can be spoken of with shocking informality.
Both sides present valid arguments. It’s this (here’s that word again) dichotomy that makes The History Boys what other Professor/Pupil vehicles wish they could be: profound.
The fundamentalism of Hector and Irwin’s rivalry is complicated further by the fact that they are both enamored with the same pupil: the cocky, smugly irresistible Dakin (Seth Numrich). Dakin is discovering the power of his own sexuality and explores it fully by courting the headmaster’s blonde secretary; torturing the unrequited affections of fellow classmate Posner (Alex Brightman); aggressively pursuing the attentions of the hesitant, sexually repressed Irwin and indulging Hector’s foolish old-man fantasies (including weekly rides on a motorcycle where Hector gets to cop a feel -- the repulsion of which is disturbingly dismissed).
But The History Boys, apart from what one might conclude, is not truly a play about sex; nor is it a play about ideas or even morality, although all are persistent themes. There is far too much going on in Bennett’s remarkably layered, uproarious script to be wrestled into any such pigeonhole.
The super glue that actually holds this northern college together is not the stodgy Headmaster (H. Richard Greene) but rather the overlooked and sole female professor Mrs. Linott (Charlotte Cornwell). Cornwell brings the authentic British voice that is so very necessary with this very British play — not merely her accent, mind you, (even though it is a relief) but her steady, rock-solid sense of stoicism. Cornwell’s delicious, understated wryness is often the sole voice of supreme reason — a brilliant acerbic that shuts up the rambling and “bumblings” of her male counterparts with searing truths such as “history is women following behind with a bucket.”
The boys aren’t half bad themselves. They may stumble over the admittedly difficult Yorkshire drawl (with the exception of Sean Marquette whose “Timms” is a straight up Yorkie Lad), but their pluck and cheek translate perfectly and their gleeful narcissism belies their whip--smart northern sensibilities. The rambunctious boys elegantly recite epic poems in answer to questions or resort to re-enacting scenes from classic films. The endearing, scene-stealing Posner’s Now Voyager is perfectly priceless.
Bennett’s extraordinarily sumptuous script is a rich and dazzling celebration of the written word. Language is reveled in, and intellect, however relative, is explored rapturously.
Under the direction of Paul Miller, a National Theatre veteran, and a supporting crew intimately involved with the original National Theatre and Broadway Productions, The History Boys will almost certainly end up splitting audiences right down the middle. Bennett’s script is not one big literary in-joke, although not being even vaguely familiar with literature might induce a yawn or two, especially as the play nears the three-hour mark. For others, The History Boys makes for explosive, provocative theatre that challenges and pokes and slaps you about. Just as truly great theatre ought.
The History Boys runs now through December 9th at The Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave. Los Angeles. For ticket information visit http://www.centertheatregroup.org/tickets/ or call 213-628-2772.
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