The caption: A teacher (Bob Colonna, center in helmet) offers his students (from left, Sheldon Best, Jonathan Popp, and Samson Kohanski) a ride on his motorbike in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

The “boys” in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

A controversial English teacher (Bob Colonna, left) counsels one of his students (Karl Baker Olson, right) in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

Dan Whelton as Dakin (rear) and Bob Colonna as Hector (foreground) in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

The new teacher(Chris Thorn – arm raised) confounds his students (from left: Samson Kohanski, Sheldon Best, Joe Lanza, and Karl Baker Olson) with his new teaching methods in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

Bob Colonna as Hector in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

Timothy Crowe as the Headmaster in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

Paula Plum as history teacher Dorothy Lintott in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

Dan Whelton as Dakin in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.

Christopher Thorn as Irwin in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE HISTORY BOYS, running now thru June 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600. Photo: Mike Lovett.