Court Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, is proud to present East Texas Hot Links. Court kicks off the 2024/25 season with Eugene Lee’s suspenseful and remarkable work of lyricism, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. This production will run September 6 – September 29, 2024 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. The press opening is Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 7:30pm.
The cast of East Texas Hot Links includes Willie B. (Adolph); David Dowd (Delmus Green); Juwan Lockett (XL Dancer); Kelvin Roston Jr. (Roy Moore); A.C. Smith (Boochie Reed); Geno Walker (Buckshot); AnJi White (Charlesetta Simpkins); and Alfred H. Wilson (Colombus Frye).
The creative team includes Jack Magaw (scenic design); Christine Pascual (costume design); Jason Lynch (lighting design); Andre Pleuss (sound design); Kamesha Khan (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken (casting director); Jaclynn Joslin (production stage manager); and Kate Ocker (assistant stage manager).
Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, East Texas Hot Links is a gripping character study, a lyrical masterpiece, and portrait of community. It is 1955 in the piney woods of East Texas and racial tensions are high, yet the Top O’ the Hill Café remains a haven. There, regulars share stories, joke, unwind, and trade friendly barbs. The café is a refuge that keeps the outside world at bay, until a mysterious omen forces the outside in.
Court’s 2024/25 season opener is a tribute to Resident Artist and Director Ron OJ Parson’s (Two Trains Running) first production in Chicago, his deep collaboration with playwright Eugene Lee, and the founding of Onyx Theatre Ensemble, the storied theatre company that first produced East Texas Hot Links in Chicago thirty years ago. By returning to Top O’ the Hill Café decades later, Parson asserts East Texas’s place in the modern theatrical canon and honors the legacy of Onyx.
Subscription packages including this production are on sale now and single tickets are available now. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online at CourtTheatre.org.
East Texas Hot Links is sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company and Ron OJ Parson’s residency is made possible by the Joyce Foundation. East Texas Hot Links is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.
Fact Sheet / East Texas Hot Links
Title: East Texas Hot Links
By: Eugene Lee
Directed by: Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson
Featuring: Willie B. (Adolph); David Dowd (Delmus Green); Juwan Lockett (XL Dancer); Kelvin Roston Jr. (Roy Moore); A.C. Smith (Boochie Reed); Geno Walker (Buckshot); AnJi White (Charlesetta Simpkins); and Alfred H. Wilson (Colombus Frye).
Creatives: Jack Magaw (scenic design); Christine Pascual (costume design); Jason Lynch (lighting design); Andre Pleuss (sound design); Kamesha Khan (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken (casting director); Jaclynn Joslin (production stage manager); and Kate Ocker (assistant stage manager).
Dates:
Previews: September 6 – 13, 2024
Press Opening: September 14, 2024 at 7:30pm
Regular Run: September 15 – 29, 2024
Schedule:
Wed/Thurs/Fri: 7:30 p.m.
Sat/Sun: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Accessible Performances:
Touch Tour on September 28, 2024 at 12:30pm
Audio Description and ASL Interpretation on September 28, 2024 at 2:00pm
Open Captioning on September 29, 2024 at 2:00pm
Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.
Tickets:
$42.00 – $72.00 Previews
$58.00 –$90.00 Regular Run
Student, group, and military discounts available
Box Office: Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.
Winner of the 2022 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago’s historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.