Phylicia Rashad to Direct "A Raisin in the Sun"

Online, October 28, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Phylicia Rashad is to direct the powerful classic by Lorraine Hansberry - A Raisin in the Sun. she will play the role of director next year at the Westport Country Playhouse. Rashad has several past successes to her name. She bagged the Tony award for her role as Lena Young in the revival of the Hansberry play by Broadway. Her portrayal of Claire Huxtable in "The Cosby Show" earned her household popularity. This character in fact earned her several awards and countless honors. She later teamed up with Bill Cosby on "Cosby" as Ruth Cosby.

Few other roles that she claimed for herself with elan were Violet Weston in "August: Osage County"; Big Mama in "Cat on a Hot Roof"; Aunt Ester in "Gem of the Ocean" and Queen Britannia in Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" at the Lincoln Theater Center.

She is also to join the department of faculty by becoming the first Denzel Washington Chair in Theater. Rashad is currently working on a film named Gods Behaving Badly, with Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and John Turturro. The film is directed by Marc Turtletaub and is set against a NY backdrop where Greek Gods live.

Washington, who graduated from the University in 1977, considers Bob Stones to be his one of the greatest influencing mentors. He said, "Show me a successful individual and I'll show you someone who has had positive influences in his or her life." Adding further he said, "I wanted to create the Denzel Washington Endowed Scholarship and Chair in Theater at Fordham in order to offer the next generation of students, positive influences. Phylicia Rashad, as the inaugural holder of the chair, will provide the care, compassion and that extra push to help take students where they're meant to go. She will be teaching a course called "Creating a Characer."