Phylicia Rashad the 2017 Steppenwolf Women in the Arts honoree

Steppenwolf Theatre Company today announced that veteran Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad will be the 2017 honoree at the annual Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts fundraising luncheon on Feb. 6, 2017. Rashad will participate in a conversation with Steppenwolf artistic director Anna D. Shapiro as part of the festivities.

Best-known perhaps for her Emmy-nominated turn as Claire Huxtable on the long-running TV series “The Cosby Show,” Rashad is no stranger to Steppenwolf productions. She starred as Violet Weston in the 2009 Broadway production of the Shapiro-directed “August: Osage County.” Rashad can currently be seen in a recurring role as Diana Dubois on the Fox series “Empire.”

The annual event “raises funds for Steppenwolf’s professional development programs, including Steppenwolf for Young Adults, the School at Steppenwolf, and the Professional Leadership Programs at the theater company.

Individual tickets for the luncheon at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, 221 N Columbus Dr., start at $200. Contact specialevents@steppenwolf.org.