The Fund's Annual Chairman's Awards Gala will be held at Tavern on the Green and will feature Dixie Carter, most recently on Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie, as Master of Ceremonies. Todd Haimes, Kenny Leon and James S. Turley will present the honorees with their awards. Rashad will receive the Theatre Artist Award, Dowling will be given the NCTF Leadership Award, and Cisco Systems will be honored with the Corporate Leadership Award.

The evening will begin at 6:30 PM with cocktails, followed by dinner at 7:30 PM. The black-tie event will also include a silent auction.

In a statement NCTF Executive Director Bruce E. Whitacre said, "We are especially pleased this year to recognize these artists and partners in our efforts. The opening of the new Guthrie Theater, which would not have been possible without Joe Dowling’s leadership, is a landmark event in American theater. Phylicia Rashad’s great performances and her service to the community demonstrate her commitment to enriching our lives through her roles on and off the stage. And Cisco’s support of technology projects in the arts, including here at NCTF, as well as its role in building connections in today’s Internet age, warrant recognition."

The National Corporate Theatre Fund is an association of ten not-for profit theatres "dedicated to increasing the participation of corporations and their employees in the support of theatre across the country and in New York." The member theatres include Actors Theatre of Louisville, American Conservatory Theater, American Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group, The Cleveland Play House, Guthrie Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, The Old Globe, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Trinity Repertory Company.

Tavern on the Green is located in Manhattan at Central Park at West 67th Street. Individual tickets are priced $1,000 with tables ranging from $10,000-$25,000. For reservations, call (212) 750-6895. For more information visit www.nctf.org.