The History Boys

So I failed because I was going to post this before Brantley's review came out, and I forgot. For what it's worth, I'm not going to read his yet.

So The History Boys.... PHENOMENAL. I haven't walked out of a play in a long time with that feeling of "WOW. I want to see that again. Like soon." I think not since The Pillowman. So the show. I loved it. I thought it was great, and witty, and serious, and funny, and fun. I was enthralled through the entire thing, and I kind of didn't want it to end. I am also an academic who went through a lot of competitive application processes for both undergraduate and graduate school, so I think I just related to it a bit. Lydia didn't love it quite so much as me, and we determined that might be the reason, or that she's a girl, and it's all about boys.

So basically, the play revolves around this group of boys, who are all trying to get into Cambridge and Oxford, and they have these two different teachers, and things get kind of muddled and stuff happens. I don't really want to tell you so much, because I thought there was a little shock value that I want you to retain.

The story does take a different angle than I was expecting. I guess I was thinking more of a Dead Poets Society type thing, and it wasn't quite that. It's hard to say how believable it is, as this theme kind of spreads throughout the play, and there is a general acceptance by the boys and whatnot, but it was still great. You have no idea what I'm talking about unless you see it.

But in any case, I loved the writing, and the pretentious quoting of texts and movie scenes and poetry that I always think would be so fun to do. I love the random musical interludes and the piano playing and the video scene changes and the crazy interactions in the classroom, and how all this lightness counteracts with a pervasive heaviness that is brought upon by the kind of blanketing subject matter. I've seen video excerpts or backgrounds work horribly on stage (a la In My Life or Ring of Fire), but I kind of liked it here.

The cast I thought was great. I really liked Scripps; he basically has the coolest voice ever. Everyone just worked well together.

So, yeah. I liked the play. And I would say go see it fast.