Director Ron OJ Parson has been a one-man producing factory for the Eugene Lee play “East Texas Hot Links,” a drama that is often billed as a thriller despite the racial horrors contained therein. I first saw Parson work on the play in the mid-1990s by the now-defunct Onyx Theatre Ensemble, where he directed the show twice just three years or so apart. In 2016, by then one of Chicago’s leading directors, Parson staged the show at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. And now, after another eight years, here the veteran helmer is again with an East Texas “colored only” backwoods bar in the summer of 1955, as the racist aggressions of the Jim Crow era threaten its status as a sanctuary, there being enemies within as well as without. This time, the show is at Court Theatre on the South Side. Why this number of reprises? Parson has told me over the years that he likes returning to material and, self-evidently, he is a big believer in this particular drama, penned by an actor who had been greatly influenced by appearing in the works of August Wilson. “East Texas Hot Links” has some formative similarities with that great writers’ oeuvre: an ensemble cast, a slow initial build, a love of language, a historical setting and a subscription to the moralistic Wilson value system of never violating the well-being of the community for personal gain. But it’s not only a much shorter play at just 95 minutes, but in some ways a riskier piece that comes with a brutal climactic event that requires actors to confront present-tense danger in a way that Wilson mostly eschewed. Wilson, who worked hard to make what happens in his plays feel inevitable, had a lot in common with the ancient Greek tragedians; Lee and Parson are both interested in the mechanisms of plot-based thrillers with their real-time surprises and sudden switches of energy and action. But both writers offer up extraordinary roles for Black male actors and, to be honest, even though I knew everything that was about to unfold, I became excited as soon as I saw the cast list at Court: I’ve been watching some members of the ad hoc Parson company of players for years. Here, you get to see no less than A.C. Smith, Kelvin Roston Jr., Alfred H. Wilson, AnJi White, Willie B., David Dowd, Juwan Lockett and Geno Walker, few of whom need an introduction to regular Chicago theatergoers. I saw Wilson do this same show 30 years ago and, well, he knows what he is doing even better now. Willie B., Geno Walker and AnJi White in "East Texas Hot Links" at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)AnJi White, A.C. Smith and Juwan Lockett in "East Texas Hot Links" at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)Kelvin Roston Jr. and AnJi White in "East Texas Hot Links" at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)Alfred H. Wilson, AnJi White and Willie B. in "East Texas Hot Links" at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)Show Caption1 of 4Willie B., Geno Walker and AnJi White in "East Texas Hot Links" at Court Theatre. (Michael Brosilow)Expand It’s an intense piece with a tight ensemble: On Sunday night, White and Smith in particular clearly were still very much caught up in the action of the denouement when it came time to take a bow. I suspect they have to wind down for a good while each evening before they can get on with their lives. No doubt that’s also true of others. So, if you’ve never seen this work, here you have a group of performers of a maturity unlike any other current show in Chicago, a director who knows every beat of the play and a compelling piece of dramatic writing. One final note: Court Theatre curiously remains without an artistic director following the exit of Charles Newell this past June after an auspicious run. One hopes whomever comes next will retain this kind of link with the history of Chicago theater. And while Newell’s run was long, this show’s run is short. So don’t wait too long. Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. [email protected] Review: “East Texas Hot Links” (3.5 stars) When: Through Sept. 29 Where:  Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Tickets: $58-$90 at 773-753-4472 and www.courttheatre.org