Eclipse Theatre Company has announced the recipient of the ninth-annual Corona Award: Chicago-based actor and director Ron OJ Parson.

“Ron has long been a strong supporter of Eclipse and all theatre artists throughout Chicago. His impact on theatre here has been enormous, and Eclipse is excited to honor his work with the 2018 Corona Award,” said Eclipse Artistic Director Nathaniel Swift.

A director with credits nationwide, Parson is a resident artist at Court Theatre, and co-founder and former artistic director of Onyx Theatre. Recent credits include Gem of the Ocean, Seven Guitars, The Mountaintop, and Waiting For Godot (Court Theatre); Sunset Baby and A Raisin in the Sun (TimeLine Theatre, associate artist); The Who & The What (Victory Gardens Theater); and Detroit 67 (Northlight Theatre).

The Corona Award honors “individuals who play support and nurture the growth of the Chicago theatre community at-large as well as small- to medium-sized theatres.” Past Corona Award Recipients include Jane Alderman, Elizabeth K. Auman, Erica Daniels, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, Deb Clapp, Richard Cotovsky, and Joseph Drummond.

The ceremony will be held on Monday, January 22, at 6:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner and entertainment, followed by the award ceremony at 7:30 p.m., at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago. Eclipse ensemble member and Goodman Theatre artist emeritus Steve Scott hosts, with other guest presenters to be announced. Tickets and more info are available at eclipsetheatre.com.