1 September 1967
The Killer1 September 1967 marks the American première of Exit the King in Los Angeles, extending the play’s production history from its Paris première to an English-language staging at the Edinburgh Festival and then to an American production. The performance was presented by APA Repertory Company by arrangement with APA Phoenix, directed by Ellis Rabb, and featured Richard Easton as Berenger the First, The King.
Place in the Production History
Exit the King was first performed on 15 December 1962 at Théâtre de l’Alliance Française in Paris. An English version followed at the Edinburgh Festival in September 1963, performed by Royal Court Company. The Los Angeles première on 1 September 1967 was the next milestone identified in this sequence and the first American production noted in the production account.
The Los Angeles Production
APA Repertory Company presented the première by arrangement with APA Phoenix. Ellis Rabb directed the production; Conrad Susa provided the music, Rouben Ter-Arutunian designed the scenery, James Tilton the lighting, and Nancy Potts the costumes. The cast listing identifies Richard Easton as Berenger the First, The King. Together, these credits document the production’s principal artistic roles and its staging in Los Angeles.
Significance of the Date
The date fixes a specific point in the play’s movement between theatrical contexts: from its 1962 Paris première, through the 1963 English-language performance in Edinburgh, to an American première five years after the original production. The available production details establish the venue city, presenting companies, creative team, and leading role, while leaving the date’s significance grounded in that documented performance history.
