PORTLAND – Mad Horse Theatre Company will present “The History Boys,” which won a record six Tony Awards in 2006, from April 23 to May 10.

The play, by Alan Bennett, is a moving comedy that explores the anarchy of adolescence and raises questions about the nature of history and how it should be taught.

Set in the 1980s at a mid-rate boys school in northern England, “The History Boys” tells the story of eight bright, funny history students seeking admission to the country’s most competitive universities: Oxford and Cambridge. Their headmaster, obsessed with advancing the school’s prestige, hires a young hotshot history teacher to groom the boys for entrance exams.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday; at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2 and 9; and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door with a $2 discount for seniors and students. Previews on April 23-24 and shows on April 30 and May 7 are pay what you can. Call ahead, at 730-2389; seating is limited. Shows are at The Studio Theater at Portland Stage Company, 25A Forest Ave. Visit www.madhorse.com.