Saturday, December 6, 2025
Venue West, 221 N Paulina, Chicago
The Court Theatre gala is an opportunity to honor individuals who have had a profound impact on Court Theatre, their communities, and the arts. This year’s gala recognizes Court Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson’s work on the August Wilson Century Cycle. August Wilson wrote the Century Cycle, a collection of ten award-winning plays documenting the Black American experience across each decade of the 20th century; this epic body of work depicts the daily life of Black Americans with the reverence of mythic storytelling. Parson is one of the nation’s pre-eminent theatre directors, known for his skillful direction of Wilson’s repertoire and his mentorship in the creative community.
Ron OJ Parson will direct the final installment of the Century Cycle—Joe Turner’s Come and Gone—in Court’s 2026/27 season, becoming one of very few directors to direct all ten plays at a single theatre. As the Tony Award-winning theatre in residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago’s historic South Side, this is a monumental achievement.
Gala Co-Chairs Felicia Davis Blakley, Taryn Williams Clark, and Amina Dickerson invite you to celebrate this milestone with Court as we honor Ron OJ Parson, the memory of August Wilson, and the role that Court Theatre and many Chicago actors and designers played in the Century Cycle’s legacy.
All proceeds from the 2025 Gala will support the work on Court Theatre’s stage, including the upcoming production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.
For additional information, please contact Leah Cox, Director of Development.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIESPhoto of Ron OJ Parson by John Zich.
Ron OJ Parson’s residency is made possible by  |