The Boys of Spring

The History Boys
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Through June 7

Acclaimed area theatre troupe SpeakEasy Stage Company hosts the regional premiere of The History Boys, playwright Alan Bennett’s 2006 Tony Award winner for Best Play. The drama—which stars standout local performers Bob Colonna, Paula Plum and Chris Thorn, as well as eight current students or alumni of various New England colleges as “the boys”—tells the story of a British school and the struggle that ensues between a young upstart history instructor and a respected, if more than a bit unorthodox, veteran English teacher. Which of these educators will, in the end, win the hearts and minds of the school’s bright and shining “History Boys”? Refer to theater listing.

Shakespeare 2.0

Cardenio
American Repertory Theatre
Through June 8

Considering that the words, “Wanna go see the new Shakespeare play tonight?” haven’t been uttered since around the year 1616, one would have to consider American Repertory Theatre’s production of Cardenio a pretty big deal. Okay, so technically the play was written by Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt and contemporary playwright Charles L. Mee, but Cardenio is inspired by an actual play by the Bard himself—one that was lost to history shortly after its first performance back in the days of Queen Elizabeth I. The play, which takes place at a wedding in Umbria, places familiar Shakespearean romantic-comedic confusion and stirring verse into a modern setting, bringing Old Will into a whole new era. Refer to theater listing.

Love Letters

She Loves Me
Huntington Theatre Company
Through June 15

The story of She Loves Me—the acclaimed Joe Masteroff/Sheldon Harnick/Jerry Bock musical that premiered in 1963—has been told and re-told many times over the years, including in the non-musical films The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail. This romantic tale of a pair of bitter rivals by day—unaware that they’re also romantic, anonymous penpals by night—closes Huntington’s 2007–08 season, as well as outgoing Artistic Director (and She Loves Me director) Nicholas Martin’s tenure at the helm of the Huntington. A cast of stellar actors (including Brooks Ashmankas, Kate Baldwin and Jessica Stone) adds to the fun as Martin wraps up his days at the Huntington with a play brimming with nostalgia, romance and great songs. Refer to theater listing.