“Exit the King” might be grim, but it won’t make audiences want to exit the theater.

A production of the absurdist comedy – written by Eugène Ionesco in 1962, translated by Donald Watson and directed by Michael Michetti – kicked off May 3 at Pasadena’s A Noise Within Theatre, where it will run through May 31. The story centers around King Bérenger – a fictional monarch of an unknown country – and his reactions after he is told that he has 90 minutes left to live. The audience learns this premise from the onset and consequently the last third of the one-act production drags considerably in anticipation of Bérenger’s inevitable death, but the majority of the play succeeds thanks to the committed performances of the talented actors.

In the starring role as Bérenger is Henri Lubatti, who deserves particular credit for the sheer physicality of his performance. Bérenger does not appear on stage immediately, but when he does he is stumbling and frail, decaying before the audience’s eyes and complaining about stiffness in his legs. Lubatti raises the stakes beyond his convincing hobbling by perfectly executing a series of falls and somersaults, tumbling and skittering around the stage with surprising speed that embraces the character’s potential for physical comedy. In addition to his movements accentuating the growing weakness of his character, Lubatti shines because of the anguish he is able to transmit – particularly in the wide variety of vocal intonations he adopts – as Bérenger dreads his demise.

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Bérenger’s mood is heavily affected by the opposite attitudes of his two wives, Queen Marguerite (Joy DeMichelle) and Queen Marie (Erika Soto). The former is serious and assertive, encouraging the elderly king to accept death, while the latter is bubbly, leaving her broken-hearted at the possibility of her husband dying. The interactions between DeMichelle and Soto as they compete for the king’s ear are especially entertaining to watch as the two actresses repeatedly contrast the stoicism of Marguerite with the sensuality of Marie. To capture such a high degree of humor while persuasively playing both women’s conflicted emotions is an impressive balancing act where DeMichelle and Soto both rise to the occasion.

Additional praise within the cast must be given to KT Vogt, who delivers several of the play’s best lines as the king’s maid, Juliette. Beleaguered and worn out by the many orders of the king and his wives, Juliette could have easily faded into the background as a supporting character without much gumption or personality. Instead, Vogt manages to imbue the character with the appropriate tenacity and spunk, playing a servant capable of both complaining about her monarch as well as putting Bérenger in his place when she recalls her tremendous exhaustion at the services she provides on behalf of the crown.

The production design and costume design are both excellent in establishing a sense of setting and in capitalizing upon the differences between each character. Noticeably, the regal purple cape of Queen Marguerite is juxtaposed with the frivolous pink tulle worn by Queen Marie, emphasizing the way that the two women each appeal to opposite sides of Bérenger’s personality. Likewise, Bérenger sheds a layer of clothing every few minutes as he comes closer and closer to death, and each piece – from his fur-adorned cape to his fraying red pajamas – help tell this evolution with style. The castle setting of the elaborate staging is also immersive with plenty of gray stone walls and pale red curtains to help center the audience firmly in the king’s crumbling palace.

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Unfortunately, where “Exit the King” struggles the most is in the script it adapts from Ionesco. Knowing that Bérenger will die by the play’s conclusion does not dismantle the piece’s potential for entertainment, but it can quickly become repetitive and draining for sequence after sequence to build toward the king’s end before invariably stretching his life – and the play’s 100-minute runtime – a little bit longer. When Bérenger finally does meet his end, it does not feel as emotionally impactful as it probably could have. The more complex, ruminative themes about life from earlier in the script have long disappeared by that point, replaced instead by the king’s comparatively flat reflections on life and death.

Altogether, “Exit the King” provides an entertaining theatergoing experience thanks to the talents of Lubatti, DeMichelle, Soto and Vogt, who collectively manage to keep the production running toward its tragic finale with the proper blend of sincerity and humor. However, any insight about the fragile tightrope between life and death is not to be derived from here – instead, Ionesco’s script limps toward its end with the same trudging effort as the soon-to-be-dead king.

“Exit the King” might be a worthwhile tale but perhaps could revise its storytelling so that the king’s exit does not feel so dry.