Tony Winner Phylicia Rashad to Serve as Master Teacher for 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program

Ten Chimneys Foundation has announced Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad will serve as the Master Teacher for the 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program, a national program to serve the future of American theatre.

July 12-19, ten of the nation's top regional theatre actors will join Ms. Rashad for an intensive, weeklong master class and immersion experience at Ten Chimneys, the National Historic Landmark estate of theatre legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin.

The following are the ten actors who have been selected as the 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellows, with their nominating theatres:

* LARRY BATES - South Coast Repertory (Costa Mesa, CA)
* EDWARD GERO - Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL)
* ALLEN GILMORE - Yale Repertory Theatre (New Haven, CT)
* PHYLLIS KAY - Trinity Repertory Company (Providence, RI)
* GRETCHEN KRICH - Seattle Repertory Theatre (Seattle, WA)
* TIMOTHY MCCUEN PIGGEE - Arizona Theatre Company (Tucson, AZ)
* LIZ MIKEL - Dallas Theater Center (Dallas, TX)
* NATHANIEL STAMPLEY - Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Milwaukee, WI)
* ED SWIDEY - The Wilma Theater (Philadelphia, PA)
* HOLLY TWYFORD - Arena Stage (Washington, DC)

"In my experience, teaching and directing have one great thing in common: I never know what is going to happen until I am in the room with the people. But, one thing is certain: As surely as we hold the intention to explore the truth of human behavior, the results are astonishing." - Phylicia Rashad, 2015 Master Teacher

Our 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Class will delve into roles that are "against type" and will allow our ten Fellows to engage in parts that differentiate from the characters they may typically play.

Since its inception in 2009, the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program, conceived and executed by Ten Chimneys Foundation, has brought the nation's top regional theatre actors to Ten Chimneys to work with a world renowned Master Teacher. Past Master Teachers include Lynn Redgrave, Barry Edelstein, Olympia Dukakis, Joel Grey, Alan Alda, and David Hyde Pierce. Through this groundbreaking national program, the top actors in the country are given a rare and deeply needed opportunity to grow artistically, renew their passion for their art form, deepen their commitment to mentorship, and form a national community of Lunt-Fontanne Fellows.

"The Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program is the preeminent program for our country's top regional theater actors; the celebrated mentors of their communities, the best-of-the-best. Ten Chimneys Foundation is honored to welcome Ms. Phylicia Rashad to our distinguished list of Master Class teachers. We've been watching Ms. Rashad's career for years; she is highly respected within the theater community as an award-winning actor/director and masterful teacher - we're thrilled she will be sharing her expertise with our 2015 Fellows. She possesses the high standards and compliments of skills that make for a magnificent teacher. I'm looking forward to another memorable week at Ten Chimneys that will transcend all boundaries as our actors explore "against type". - Randy Bryant, President & CEO, Ten Chimneys Foundation

At the close of the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program guests are invited to attend two public programs. On Friday, July 17, Ten Chimneys Foundation will present A Conversation with Phylicia Rashad, an intimate evening during which Ms. Rashad will share stories about her life and career. On Saturday, July 18, Ms. Rashad and the ten 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellows will take the stage together for a Concluding Presentation, a rare look at the work they explored during their week at Ten Chimneys, as well as a one-night-only program highlighting the remarkable actors chosen as 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellows.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 7th. More information, including ticket prices and program details, can be found at www.tenchimneys.org, or by calling (262) 968-4110.