Exit the King, The Killer, and Macbett / Three Plays - Softcover

Eugene Ionesco

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802151108 ISBN 13: 9780802151100

Publisher: Grove Press, 1985

Synopsis

Exit the King is a highly stylized, ritualized death rite unfolding the final hours of the once-great king Berenger the First. As he dies, his kingdom also dies. His armies suffer defeat, the young emigrate, the seasons change overnight, and his kingdom’s borders shrink to the outline of his throne. At last, as the curtain falls, the king himself dissolves into a gray mist.

The Killer is a study of pure evil. Bérenger, a conscientious citizen, finds himself in a radiantly beautiful city marred only by the presence of a killer. Bérenger’s determination to find the murderer in the face of official indifference and his final defeat at the hands of an impersonal, pitiless cruelty speak with the universality of Kafka’s The Trial.

Macbett, inspired by Shakespeare’s play, is a grotesque joke . . . [and] a very funny play. . . . Ionecso maliciously undermines sources and traditions, spoofing Shakespeare along with tragedy.” Mel Gussow, The New York Times

About this title

About the Author:

Marowitz is a celebrated theatre director, critic, and playwright.

Watson is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and professor emeritus of Rensselear Polytechnic Institute.

About this edition

• Publisher: Grove Press
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 0802151108
• ISBN 13: 9780802151100
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 309