Yates students keep alum Rashad on edge of her seat
‘Cosby’ actress says production ‘was beautiful to watch’
Acclaimed actress Phylicia Rashad surprised some 50 students at Yates High School when she showed up to watch a school production on gun violence on Friday morning.
“My, the drama class has grown,” said the Houston native who was a drum major during her time at Yates High. “We didn’t have this many in my day.”
Rashad sat on the edge of her seat as she watched students perform scenes from the play “Gun Violence: The New Normal.”
The play is inspired by students’ personal experiences and focuses on the impact of gun violence on communities. Rashad visited her alma mater to watch the theater performance and offer feedback before the students’ University Interscholastic League competition this weekend.
Rashad, who is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” is in town for the Houston Symphony’s, “Fidelio,” which continues through Sunday. She is the show’s narrator.
In 2004, Rashad became the first black woman to win the Tony Award for best actress in a play for her role in the revival of “A Raisin in the Sun.” She also has won three Emmy awards.
Afterward, as the high school students took their last bow, Rashad gave some sage advice: “Don’t be afraid to tell your story . ... Don’t be shy to really move into this earnestly and be heard. Don’t be shy. It was beautiful to watch,” she said.
“You all have ancestral memory all up in you ... and it’s beautiful.”