Seth Numrich plays Dakin, left, and Brett Ryback is Scripps in Alan Bennett’s “The History Boys” at the Ahmanson Theatre. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Peter Paige plays Irwin, a young teacher with different ideas about learning, in “The History Boys.” (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Dakin Matthews is Hector, the professor who clashes with Irwin in their educational approaches in “The History Boys.” (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Dakin Matthews, as Hector, coaches his history students — played by, from left, Demond Robertson, Alex Brightman, Ammar Ramzi and Cord Jackman — in “The History Boys” at the Ahmanson Theatre. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)