Exit the King

^{New in 2009}
Oscar winners Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon star in a revival of absurdist writer Eugene Ionesco's play about the fumbling king of a deteriorating country.
^{Closes June 14th}

The Broadway production of Exit the King closed June 14, 2009. For current Broadway show listings and tickets, please click here.

NYC critics were unanimously lavish in their praise for Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, making his Broadway debut as a megalomaniacal ruler whose incompetence has left his country in near ruin. They were a bit less taken with Susan Sarandon, returning to Broadway for the first time in over twenty-five years, as the queen who, along with the other members of the court, tries to convince the King he has only 90 minutes left to live.

While positioned as a comedy (there are plenty of laughs, particularly early in the show), the play is ultimately a contemplation of death. Ionesco wrote it in 1962 shortly after recovering from a serious illness, and later said "we�re all of us dying men who refuse to die....this play is an attempt at an apprenticeship in dying."

Elysa Gardner of USA Today summed up the overall response to the production (which emanates from Australia, where director Neil Armfield originally staged it with Mr. Rush in the title role last year) fairly well, saying "Ionesco's account of a ruler who squanders his time is well worth yours."

Here's a very good Associated Press video, with bits from the play and interviews with the cast:

what the critics said:

4.0 out of 5.0 (click for excerpts)

what our subscribers said:

3.4 out of 5.0 (click for reviews)

users' rating for kids:

join now to see what other parents have said

stars:

Geoffrey Rush, Susan Sarandon, Lauren Ambrose, Andrea Martin

author:

Eugene Ionesco

director:

Neil Armfield

translation:

Neil Armfield and Geoffrey Rush

awards:

^{2009 Tony Award: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (Geoffrey Rush).
2009 Drama Desk Award: Outstanding Actor in a Play (Geoffrey Rush).
2009 Outer Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Actor in a Play (Geoffrey Rush).}

ticket prices:

$65.00 - $115.00

attendance last week:

85.7%

venue:

Barrymore Theatre (information) (seating chart)

(map & driving directions) (parking) (parking coupon)

running time:

2 hrs 25 mins

link to official show site:

official website

full credits:

http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=482525

weekly schedule:
Monday	Dark
Tuesday	7:00 PM
Wednesday	2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Thursday	8:00 PM
Friday	8:00 PM
Saturday	2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday	3:00 PM