Imake my acting debut this year in our school’s student production of “The History Boys.” I’ve been given the role of headmaster. The story is set in a private school in England in the mid-1980s and follows a small group of history pupils who are preparing for their entrance exams for admission to Oxford and Cambridge. The boys must navigate through the contrasting teaching styles of Irwin, Hector, and Ms. Lintott as well as their contrasting views on the lessons of literature and history. Along the way the students work to come to terms with their own sexuality as well as the intentions and deceitfulness of the faculty. One of my favorite moments in the film takes place as the boys are preparing for their college interviews. In frustration, Ms. Lintott shares her own gendered interpretation of the lessons of history and the “ineptitude” of men. She is followed by Rudge who reduces the complexity of the past down to the simple thought that history is “one fucking thing after another.”
I am thoroughly enjoying my introduction to the world of acting. In fact, it is exhilarating!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Jeez – let’s just hope you weren’t typecast. The headmaster was a real pr….umm, protagonist.
That’s my favorite part of the (somewhat uneven) movie, too.
The play is better than the movie, but I was always a fan of Hector’s “He had a name” monologue. And whoever plays him has to be a pretty sharp tack.