WAIT UNTIL DARK Runs At Court Theater 3/5-4/5

Court Theatre continues its 2008-09 season with Frederick Knott's classic thriller Wait Until Dark, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. The production will run at Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Avenue, March 5 - April 5, 2009. The press opening is Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.

A cool-as-ice psychopath smooth talks his way into the home of an unsuspecting blind woman. Unbeknownst to Susie, she's harboring a dangerous prize, and he'll use every trick to get it. Spend an evening on the edge of your seat with the genre Hitchcock made classic. This psychological thriller probes which frightens us more - the evil you can see coming, or the oNe You can't?

"I'm excited to bring Wait Until Dark back to its original home, the stage," says Ron OJ Parson. "The suspense genre is something that theater-goers rarely have the opportunity to see, and Wait Until Dark is a perfect example of what that genre can accomplish. This production is going to be a uniquely thrilling theater experience that is going to surprise people in a lot of ways!"

The cast of Wait Until Dark includes Norm Boucher (Carlino), Aaron Todd Douglas (Mike), Emjoy Gavino (Susy), Erin Hernandez and Molly Hernandez (Gloria), John Hoogenakker (Roat), Stephen Spencer (Policeman), André Teamer (Policeman) and Terrence Watts (Sam).

The designers are Jack Magaw (scenic design), Ray Nardelli and Joshua Horvath (sound design), Mark Stubblefield (lighting design), and Rachel Laritz (costume design). Sara Gammage is the production stage manager and William Collins is Assistant Director. Kate Bredeson is the Dramaturg.

Frederick Knott (Playwright, 1916-2002) was an English playwright and screenwriter who garnered fame for his thrillers Dial M for Murder, Write Me a Murder, and Wait Until Dark. Knott was born in Hankow, China to English missionaries, and educated at Cambridge University before serving in the British Army from 1939 to 1946. The Broadway production of Wait Until Dark, directed by Arthur Penn, opened in 1966 with a cast that included Lee Remick and Robert Duvall, the former nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. A film version was made in 1967 starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr, with Hepburn nominated for both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress, and Zimbalist nominated for a Globe in the supporting category. The film ranked tenth on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments for its riveting climax, and is also ranked #55 on AFI's 100 Years 100 Thrills.

Ron OJ Parson (Director) is a native of Buffalo, New York and a graduate of the University of Michigan's professional theatre program. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of the Onyx Theatre Ensemble of Chicago, and a co-founder and co-director of Ripe Mango Productions Film and Television Production Company. Ron currently resides in Chicago, Illinois and is a Resident Artist at the Court Theatre. Since moving to Chicago, Illinois from New York in 1994, Ron has worked as both actor and director. Some of the theatres Ron has worked with in Chicago include The Chicago Theatre Company, Victory Gardens, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Dramatists, Northlight, Court, Black Ensemble Theatre, ETA Creative Arts Foundation and Writers Theatre. Some of the regional theatres include Virginia Stage Company, Portland Stage Company, Studio Arena Theatre, Studio Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Wilshire Theatre, The Mechanic, Center Stage and, most recently, The Actors Theatre of Louisville. An accomplished actor, some of Ron's TV and film credits include ER, Early Edition, Turks, American Playhouse, Vamping, Ali, Barbershop 2, Primal Fear, and Drop Squad.