Court Theatre's WAITING FOR GODOT, Directed by Ron OJ Parson, Begins Tonight

Court Theatre Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Stephen J. Albert present Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. Waiting for Godot will run tonight, January 15 - February 15, 2015 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue. Press Opening is Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 8:00PM.

"Producing Waiting for Godot is a bit like trying to climb Mount Everest-it requires a well-assembled team of skilled, focused, and dedicated individuals," comments Court Theatre Artistic Director Charles Newell. "We've been able to assemble an incredibly talented group of artists and actors for this climb, and we're so pleased to have Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson directing our expedition."

On a country road, beneath a barren tree, two vagabonds wait for a man named Mr. Godot. As the evening unfolds, a desperate, humorous, and unchanging universe is revealed that has delighted and challenged audiences for over half a century. Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson (Seven Guitars) returns to direct this absurdist classic with an all-star cast featuring Court Theatre favorites A.C. Smith, Allen Gilmore, and Alfred H. Wilson. As elusive as it is illuminating, Waiting for Godot offers a haunting meditation on the meaning of human existence.

The cast of Waiting for Godot includes Allen Gilmore, Alex Henderson, Anthony Lee Irons, A.C. Smith, Oscar Vasquez and Alfred H. Wilson.

The creative team includes Courtney O'Neill (scenic design), Nan Cibula-Jenkins (costume design), Lee Keenan (lighting design), Toy Delorio (sound design), Amanda Weener-Fredrick (production stage manager) and Claire E. Zawa (assistant stage manager).

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 a co-founder and former artistic director of The Onyx Theatre Ensemble of Chicago. Mr. Parson is a resident artist at Court Theatre. He has worked as an actor and director. Chicago directing credits include Chicago Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Northlight Theatre, Court Theatre, Black Ensemble Theatre, eta Creative Arts Foundation, City Lit Theater, Writers' Theatre, Urban Theater Company, and Congo Square Theatre Company. Regional credits include Virginia Stage Company, Portland Stage Company, Studio Arena Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Wilshire Theatre, The Mechanic Theatre, CenterStage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Repertory, St. Louis Black Repertory, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Geva Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Alliance Theatre. In Canada, he directed the world premiere of Palmer Park by Joanna McClelland Glass at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario. Ron directed Blue (South Bend Civic Theatre), I Just Stopped by to See the Man (Alliance Theatre), and Jitney (South Coast Rep and Pasadena Playhouse). He is a proud member of AEA, SAG, AFTRA, and SDC.

Allen Gilmore (Vladimir)'s recent Court Theatre credits include Seven Guitars, The Misanthrope, and Tartuffe. Other Court credits include Jitney as Turnbo, Sizwe Banzi Is Dead as Sizwe (Jeff, BTA nominations), both directed by Ron OJ Parson, the title role of Cyrano, Endgame as Hamm, and Scapinas as M. Argante. Recently he performed in Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Yale Rep and will again in the spring at Berkeley Rep. Allen is a proud artistic associate of Next Theater and he is a proud ensemble member of Congo Square Theater Company.

Alex Henderson (Boy) first appeared on stage as Mowgli in the Beverly Arts Center production of Jungle Book. He played Moses in Halcyon Theatre's Strong Voice as part of the Alcyone Festival at the Greenhouse Theatre Center and appeared in TimeLine theatre's production of A Raisin in the Sun. He has appeared in nearly a dozen national television commercials and the feature film Supremacy starring Danny Glover, in which he plays the role of Jamar. An honor roll student, Alex lives in Chicago with his family and Maltese Cody.

Anthony Lee Irons (Lucky) makes his Court Theatre debut. A Congo Square ensemble member, his credits include King of Coons (Black Theatre Alliance Award), Elmina's Kitchen, Top Dog Under Dog, African Company Presents Richard III, and King Hedley II (Jeff nomination). Regional credits include Alliance Theatre, Birmingham Children's Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, and the Shakespeare Festivals in Georgia, Illinois and North Carolina. He has performed with The Second City in Chicago, Denver, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Montreal. TV credits include Chicago Fire, Sirens, Chicago Code, and Boss. Film credits include Let's Go to Prison and The Lucky Ones. This spring he'll perform in Goodman Theatre's production of Two Trains Running.

A.C. Smith (Pozzo) was most recently seen at Court in The Misanthrope and Tartuffe. Other shows at Court Theatre include Jitney, Invisible Man, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, The First Breeze of Summer, and Fences for which he received the prestigious Jeff Award for Lead Actor in a drama for his portrayal of Troy Maxon. A native of Chicago, Smith has performed at many theaters here including Victory Gardens, Timeline Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, The Chicago Theatre for the Performing Arts, Illinois Theatre Centre, Second City, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Regional theater credits include The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Portland Stage, Geva Theatre Center, Milwaukee Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Saint Louis Black Repertory Company where he has been a company member for the past 18 years (nine-time Woodie King, Jr. Award winner). In addition, A.C. has done film, television, radio, commercials, and voiceovers, and he has appeared in Ebony and Jet magazines.

Oscar Vasquez (Boy) makes his Court Theatre debut with Waiting for Godot. His Chicago credits include A Raisin in the Sun (Timeline Theatre); A Christmas Carol 2011 & 2012 (Goodman Theatre); Peter Pan (Lil Bud Theatre Company) King Ali's New Threads and Destination Freedom (eta Creative Arts Theatre). Mr.Vasquez's film and television credits include Marshall the Miracle Dog, Sirens, The King, and Jonah and the Crab (winner of the 2012 Int'l Student Film Festival Award: Best Silent Film), and several national commercials. He is a budding saxophonist studying under Chicago jazz master Ari Brown. He is also an honor roll student, avid painter and science enthusiast.

Alfred H. Wilson (Estragon)'s recent credits include: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (University of Wisconsin-Madison), The Exonerated (Next Act Theatre), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Actor's Theatre of Louisville and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre), The Etiquette of Vigilance (Steppenwolf Theatre), Two Trains Running (Geva Theatre), Master Harold and the Boys (Timeline Theatre), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and The Piano Lesson (Court Theatre), Gem of the Ocean and Radio Golf (Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati), Radio Golf (Pittsburgh Public Theatre). Other Chicago credits include: Bourbon at the Border (Eclipse Theatre), Jitney and Two Trains Running (Jeff Citation-Best Acto-Pegasus Players), Panther Burn (MMPAACT), and productions at Goodman Theatre and Victory Gardens Theatre. He was also a co-founder of Onyx Theatre Ensemble.