Four Northwest Theatre Students Win Allie Awards

by Sarah Smith

Senatobia, MS (03/03/2025) — Four Northwest Mississippi Community College students won Allie Awards for their outstanding theatre work during the 22nd Annual Allie Awards Ceremony held on Friday, Feb. 7.

The Northwest Mississippi Theatre Alliance, which hosts the Allie Awards, comprises several local theatres including DeSoto Family Theatre in Southaven, The Warehouse in Olive Branch, Kudzu Playhouse in Hernando, Panola Playhouse in Sardis, and Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia.

The Northwest students who received this honor include:

General theatre student Kaileigh Kellum, a sophomore from Calhoun City, who won Best Props in the Community Theatre Division for her work on the fall 2024 show "Boeing Boeing." This play followed serial bachelor and American journalist Bernard Lawrence with his mishaps handling three girlfriends who are all stewardesses. Kellum is currently working on props for the upcoming show, "Little Shop of Horrors" this spring at Northwest.

During her time working with props, she's enjoyed the process of learning how to communicate and effectively get things done. Kellum said an important thing she's learned is that there's never too many lists, and keeping in contact with the director is always a good idea.

"I enjoyed getting to work with a bunch of new people," said Kellum. "I really enjoyed the organizational part of finding, sorting, and making sure that we had all the props we needed and the working backstage during the show was fun - it made me feel important. It was also fun being in charge of the 'drinks' onstage - it made me feel a little like a bartender."

Noah Barnette, a freshman on the musical theatre pathway from Southaven, won Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role in the Community Theatre Division for playing Krogstad in "A Doll's House." This play was written by Henrik Ibsen about a disgruntled housewife unsatisfied with domesticity which results in her leaving her family to pursue a new life. Barnette has been involved in theatre all through high school and is excited to be a part of "Little Shop of Horrors" as a featured ensemble member.

Freshman pre-med student, Jackson Dale of Southaven, won Best Leading Actor in a Male Role in the Community Theatre Division for his role as Torvald in "A Doll's House." Torvald is the protagonist's overbearing husband. He was involved in theatre throughout his time at DeSoto Central High School and will be playing the role of Orin Scivello, the dentist, in the upcoming spring musical, "Little Shop of Horrors."

Sophomore musical theatre student Anna Denton Landrum of Hernando, is the recipient of the Cindy Lipscomb Legacy Award for her excellence, dedication and leadership in theatre. Landrum has been a part of every production at Northwest since her first semester. She was one of the stewardesses in "Boeing Boeing" and portrayed the protagonist, Nora Helmer, in "A Doll's House." She will be doing hair and make-up for "Little Shop of Horrors" this spring.

Aside from theatre, Landrum was named as an Outstanding Student for theatre, was on the President's List, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Gamma Beta Phi, was selected to the Hall of Fame, was a Rotary Student of the Month, is a member of the Northwest Student Government Association (SGA), and is president of the Northwest Players Club.

"It reassured me that I've made a significant impact," said Landrum. "I didn't receive recognition for a specific role or show, but kind of an overall recognition. Mrs. Lipscomb made a big impact on the theatre community, and it's good to know that I have a little bit of that impact too."

For Northwest theatre faculty, Alyssa Algee and Kayla Manzolillo, these accomplishments are something to be proud of. They commend the hard work and dedication of these students as they strive to reach their potential. "Our students put in an incredible amount of work and rarely complain or ask for help," said Algee. "They deserve every accolade."

If you'd like to learn more about Northwest, please visit northwestms.edu.

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