Exit the King
By Eugène Ionesco
Translated by Donald Watson
Directed by Michael Michetti§
May 3 – 31, 2026
A savagely funny absurdist comedy by Eugène Ionesco. In this darkly hilarious masterpiece, a crumbling king faces the inevitable while desperately clinging to power.
It’s King Bérenger’s last day on Earth, he just doesn’t want to admit it. In Exit the King, Ionesco delivers a wildly funny and surprisingly moving meditation on mortality. As the king refuses to accept the obvious, his crumbling kingdom is held together by an eccentric cast: his formidable first wife, his devoted second wife, and a loyal band of bewildered attendants. Absurd, witty, and unexpectedly touching, this classic is a witty and poignant reminder that even kings can’t avoid their final curtain.
§ The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
Photo credit: Henri Lubatti in Exit the King. Photo by Daniel Reichert.
EXIT THE KING is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com