Theatre - Exit the King
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Exit the King is an absurdist drama by Eugene Ionesco, premiering in 1962.
It is the third in Ionesco's "Berenger Cycle", the first was The Killer (1958) and followed by Rhinocéros (1959), and the final one being A Stroll in the Air (1963).
In Exit the King, the solipsistic and belligerent King Berenger the First according to his first wife, is over four hundred years old. He is informed early in the play that he is dying, and the kingdom falls around him.
He has lost the power to control his surroundings and is slowly losing his physical capabilities as well. Through much of the play, he is in denial of his death and refuses to give up power. Berenger’s first wife, Margeurite, along with the Doctor, tries to make Berenger face the reality of his impending death.
Berenger’s second wife, Marie, sympathetically attempts to keep Berenger from knowing his death is imminent.
The king eventually accepts that he is going to die. As the play progresses, the characters disappear, leaving the king alone with Margeurite who prepares him for the end.
A production of Exit the King was mounted by Company B (Sydney) in 2007 with Geoffrey Rush as King Berenger and direction by Neil Armfield.
The play opened on Broadway in a limited engagement at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, with previews starting March 7, 2009, opening March 26, and closing June 14.
Directed by Armfield, the cast stars Rush, Susan Sarandon, Andrea Martin and Lauren Ambrose.
Show Information
| Director: | Neil Armfield | ||
| Based On: | Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco | ||
| Dates and Locations: | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | Opening Date: Mar. 26, 2009 Closing Date: Jun. 14, 2009 |
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Cast
| Geoffrey Rush | King Berenger |
| Susan Sarandon | Queen Marguerite |
| Lauren Ambrose | Queen Marie |
| Andrea Martin | Juliette |
Creative Team
| The creative team will include Dale Ferguson (set and costumes), Damien Cooper (lighting), Russell Goldsmith (sound), and John Rodgers (composer). |
