Ron OJ Parson headshot

Ron OJ Parson

Actor & Director

Ron OJ Parson is an actor and director originally from Buffalo, New York and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s professional theater program. He is a resident artist at Court Theatre and former co-founder and artistic director of Onyx Theatre.

Recent directing credits include: Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson (Court Theatre); Sunset Baby by Dominique Morisseau (Timeline Theatre); The Who & The What by Ayad Akhtar (Victory Gardens Theater); Seven Guitars by August Wilson, The Mountaintop by Katori Hall, and Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett (Court Theatre); Detroit 67 by Dominique Morisseau (Northlight Theatre); and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (TimeLine Theatre, associate artist).

Other Chicagoland theater credits include Black Ensemble Theatre, eta Creative Arts Foundation, Congo Square Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre (associate artist), Victory Gardens, Teatro Vista (associate artist), Chicago Dramatists, Urban Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Theatre Company, and City Lit Theatre. Regional theater credits include Virginia Stage Company, Portland Stage, Studio Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Roundabout Theatre, Mechanic Theatre, Center Stage Baltimore, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Rep, St. Louis Black Rep, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, Geva Theatre, Signature Theatre, Alliance Theatre, South Coast Rep, and Pasadena Playhouse. In Canada, Ron directed the world premiere of Palmer Park by Joanna McClelland Glass at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

Ron is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC.

Featured Artworks

  •  Ron OJ Parson artwork "King Hedley II" at Court Theatre
  •  Ron OJ Parson artwork "Five Guys Named Moe" at Court Theatre
  •  Ron OJ Parson artwork "Waiting for Godot" at Court Theatre
  •  Ron OJ Parson artwork "Wait Until Dark" at Court Theatre

Ron OJ Parson has crowd-funded a project with 3AP

  • Beyond the Stage

    • $6,450 raised of $5,000 goal
    • 0 Days 0:00:00 LEFT
      • 3Arts matched
      • 129% funded

    “Beyond the Stage” is a pilot program aimed to introduce young people of color to the magic and possibilities of stagecraft: the technical and design elements behind theater productions. As a director and actor with more than 45 years working …

    Read more about Beyond the Stage