Under the continuing leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, with interim artistic leadership from Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Senior Managing Producer Heidi Thompson Saunders, Court Theatre is thrilled to present Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. This production will run September 12 – October 12, 2025 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. The press opening is Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 7:30pm.
Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog is the big shoulders on which A Raisin in the Sun stands. First completed in 1938, funded by the Federal Theatre Project, and influenced by the South Side Writers Group that cultivated such iconic talents as Richard Wright and Margaret Walker, Big White Fog drove American realism forward by contending with discontent.
The United States is on the cusp of the Great Depression and, like many, the Mason family is struggling. Between the precarious economy and racial violence on Chicago’s segregated South Side, something’s got to give. As different generations strive to secure the Mason family’s future, catastrophic decisions are made, leading to a heartbreaking twist and a blistering condemnation of America’s Big White Fog.
Resident Artist and the nation’s preeminent director of August Wilson Ron OJ Parson (East Texas Hot Links) opens the 2025/26 season with this rich portrayal of Black life on Chicago’s South Side.
The cast of Big White Fog includes Amir Abdullah (Daniel Rogers); Ayanna Bria Bakari (Wanda Mason); Saran Bakari (Claudine/Sister Gabrella); Ronald L. Conner (Percy Mason); Brandon Dahlquist (Bailiff); Lionel Gentle (Count Cotton); Nathan Daniel Goldberg (Lieutenant); Joshua L. Green (Victor Mason); Sharriese Hamilton (Ella Mason); Anthony Irons (Count Strawder); Jada Jackson (Caroline Mason); Artem Kreimer (Nathan Piszer/Marks); Alanna Lovely (Juanita Rogers); John McBeth III (Phillip Mason); Patrick Newson Jr. (Lester Mason); Greta Oglesby (Martha Brooks); and Michael B. Woods (Patrolman).
The creative team includes Jack Magaw (Scenic Designer); Yvonne L. Miranda (Costume Designer); Lee Keenan (Lighting Designer); Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer and Composer); Khalid Long, PhD (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Associate Casting Director Celeste M. Cooper; Jaclynn Joslin (Production Stage Manager); and Lauren Peters (Assistant Stage Manager).
Subscription packages including Big White Fog are on sale now, and single tickets will be available on Friday, August 1, 2025. Tickets and subscriptions can be purchased online at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.
Big White Fog is sponsored by Allstate. Ron OJ Parson’s residency is made possible by the Joyce Foundation.
Court will recognize the legacy of playwright Theodore Ward – author of Big White Fog – in the 2025 Spotlight Reading Series. All Spotlight events are free and open to the public and will be held at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts (915 E 60th Street). This year’s Spotlight includes:
- A staged reading of Just Before Day on Wednesday, August 13, 2025
- A film screening of Native Son (1951) on Thursday, August 14, 2025
- A dinner and facilitated discussion, Community Reads: Native Son, on Thursday, August 14, 2025
- A staged reading of Our Lan’ on Friday, August 15, 2025
The Spotlight Reading Series is presented in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Film Studies Center and the Chicago Public Library, and is supported in part by the Joyce Foundation.
Reservations for the Spotlight Reading Series can be made online at CourtTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472.
Fact Sheet / Big White Fog
Title: Big White Fog
By: Theodore Ward
Directed by: Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson
Featuring: Amir Abdullah (Daniel Rogers); Ayanna Bria Bakari (Wanda Mason); Saran Bakari (Claudine/Sister Gabrella); Ronald L. Conner (Percy Mason); Brandon Dahlquist (Bailiff); Lionel Gentle (Count Cotton); Nathan Daniel Goldberg (Lieutenant); Joshua L. Green (Victor Mason); Sharriese Hamilton (Ella Mason); Anthony Irons (Count Strawder); Jada Jackson (Caroline Mason); Artem Kreimer (Nathan Piszer/Marks); Alanna Lovely (Juanita Rogers); John McBeth III (Phillip Mason); Patrick Newson Jr. (Lester Mason); Greta Oglesby (Martha Brooks); and Michael B. Woods (Patrolman).
Creatives: Jack Magaw (Scenic Designer); Yvonne L. Miranda (Costume Designer); Lee Keenan (Lighting Designer); Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer and Composer); Khalid Long, PhD (Production Dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (Director of Casting and Artist Cultivation), with Associate Casting Director Celeste M. Cooper; Jaclynn Joslin (Production Stage Manager); and Lauren Peters (Assistant Stage Manager).
Dates:
Previews: September 12 – September 19, 2025
Press Opening: September 20, 2025 at 7:30pm
Regular Run: September 21 – October 12, 2025
Schedule: Wed/Thurs/Fri: 7:30 p.m.
Sat/Sun: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Accessible Touch Tour on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 12:30pm
Performances: ASL Interpretation and Audio Description on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 2:00pm
Open Captioning on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 2:00pm
Location: Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.
Tickets: $42.00 – $74.00 Previews
$60.00 – $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.