Wayne State University and The Nederlander Company Announce Phylicia Rashad as 4th Annual Apple Award Recipient.

DETROIT -- Actress Phylicia Rashad, best known as the stern but loveable "Claire Huxtable" on The Cosby Show, is the recipient of the fourth annual Sarah Applebaum Nederlander Award for Excellence in Theatre.

Rashad will be honored at a gala celebration on Tuesday, April 26, at the Masonic Temple, Detroit. The evening will include a cocktail reception, seated dinner and presentation of the Apple Award, followed by a strolling dessert and the Detroit premiere performance of the musical Hairspray.

Tickets to The Apple Award are $250 and can be purchased by calling WSU's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at [phone]. All proceeds benefit WSU's Department of Theatre.

The Apple Award is given in partnership with Wayne State University's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and the Nederlander Company.

Rashad is known as one of the most versatile actors of our time, with credits including stage, film and television, and a career spanning over three decades. Notable Broadway performances include Blue, Jelly's Last Jam, Into the Woods, Dreamgirls, The Wiz, and the 2004 revival of Raisin in the Sun, which earned her a Tony Award(R) for Best Actress in a Play. Rashad most recently starred in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean with WSU alumnus Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Her feature film credits include Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored, Free of Eden, opposite Sidney Poitier, and The Old Settler, which she produced. Television film credits include David's Mother, False Witness, Jailbirds and Polly-Comin' Home.

Rashad graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre. Outside of theatre she is a committed volunteer to such projects as the PRASAD Project and RNT - Recruiting New Teachers. Rashad is an alumna member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

The Apple Award is named for Sarah Applebaum Nederlander, or "Apple" as she was affectionately known, to honor her dedication to her family and her contributions to building an American theatre dynasty. The award is given as part of a visiting artist fund which brings acclaimed Theatre professional to WSU's campus. Recipients host master classes for Theatre majors and a question and answer forum open to all Wayne State University students.