Introduction

pp. 1-38

in: Lindsay B. Cummings, Empathy as dialogue in theatre and performance, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016

Abstract

During the intermission of a 2009 performance of Eugene Ionesco's Exit the King at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City, I overheard an usher ask a man sitting in the row in front of me what he thought of the character of the king. My fellow audience member replied that he did not admire the king. In Ionesco's play, King Berenger refuses to accept his mortality, even as his mind, body, and kingdom crumble around him. The usher responded, "But do you empathize with him?" His tone implied that this was the truly important question, the ultimate litmus test for theatrical engagement. The man answered, "Yes, I do. I have a daughter." Since he did not further explain his reasoning, I assume that he meant he would not want to leave her on her own, and thus he could understand the king's strong desire to continue his life.