To be or not to be is not the question in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, which racked up shelves of awards during its runs in London and on Broadway. The question is how to teach. Set in an all-boys British school, the play is about young blokes being primed for Oxford and Cambridge. Their eccentric, slightly dotty, sometimes scandalous instructor Hector uses movies, songs, and poetry to instill in them a passion for knowledge. W.H. Auden’s poetry, Bette Davis’s role in Now, Voyager, and legendary variety-show chanteuse Gracie Fields each hold equal sway in Hector’s unconventional lessons. Then along comes a young whippersnapper who’s hired to teach the boys the art of mastering test-taking. Guess who ends up learning a thing or two? The New England premiere of the play, from the SpeakEasy Stage Company, is at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts (527 Tremont Street, Boston). Tickets are $14 to $54 Call 617.933.8600 or visit www.speakeasystage.com.
