The Thrill is On with Wait Until Dark!!

Wait Until Dark
By Frederick Knott
Directed by Ron OJ Parson, Resident Artist

Court Theater's stage production of the classic 1960's movie thriller Wait Until Dark was one of the most entertaining experiences I've had in many years of patronizing Chicago's extensive theater network.  Staying true to its mission to ". . . make a lasting contribution to American theatre by expanding the canon of translations and adaptations of classic texts," the company mindfully employs a multicultural cast to present this classic tale of deception, intrusion and a war of wits.  Directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson, this well-rounded cast offers a masterful blend of suspense, humor and human relations in an unforgettable fashion.

As a regular patron of African American theater productions - seeking them out to observe the breadth and depth of the African American experience and its characterizations that most other media fall short of delivering -- I have been a fan of Parson's work since viewing my first play in Chicago, which he directed in the mid 1990's.  Accordingly, I was anxiously anticipating his latest installment of such and was admittedly initially disappointed to see that this was not, in fact, another all-black cast reflecting my own world of experiences.  However, minutes into the play, that idea vanished as it was replaced by my sheer intrigue in the plot's unfolding - a testament to the exquisite story-telling of English playwright Frederick Knott -- who also brought us Alfred Hitchcock's  Dial M for Murder.  Ultimately, it was actually refreshing to observe such a diverse and talented cast performing a play whose story line had no reference to race at all.[more]