The show, which won the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is directed by Anna D. Shapiro, who won the Tony for her work.

Rashad won the Tony for A Raisin in the Sun and also played the role of Lena Younger in the ABC telefilm. Her many other stage credits include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Gem of the Ocean, Cymbeline, Jelly's Last Jam, Dreamgirls, and The Wiz. She is well known for her television work on The Cosby Show and Cosby.