NMSU Theatre Department names outstanding student of the year

The New Mexico State University Theatre Department honored students, staff and volunteers at its annual awards celebration May 10 at the ASNMSU Center for the Arts.

The Hershel Zohn Award for outstanding senior went to Peyton Womble, who also won awards for best acting and as outstanding assistant music director for her work in “Godspell.”

“I’m incredibly honored to have received the Hershel Zohn Award,” Womble said. “Over the past four years I’ve been able to do so many different things within the NMSU Theatre Department. The first show I worked on was ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ where I played clarinet in the orchestra. Over the next few years, I participated in the department's annual fundraiser ‘Broadway Onstage!’ three times and crewed multiple shows. Last semester I was on the costume crew for ‘A Christmas Carol.’ I was given the chance to compose original music for a scene in ‘Hookman’ back in February. I was inspired and impressed by the work of Ben Ramsey, a friend and fellow student who also composed original music for NMSU's production of ‘Big Frog’ last fall.

“This semester was my first time performing in a mainstage production at NMSU (‘Godspell’). I want to thank Lisa Hermanson for that opportunity and the endless support she gave me throughout the process,” she said.

“My time here at NMSU has gone quickly, but I am thankful for the friends I made, the professors who supplied me with endless knowledge and opportunities and the chances I was given to make art happen in the Las Cruces community,” Womble said.

Additional awards recipients for the 2022-23 academic year are

• Overall Academic Excellence Scholarship award: Alia Belinte
• Along with Womble, awards for best leading performance in an NMSU Theatre production went to Eliza Phillips, “Hookman” and Shawn Pirkle, “Godspell”
• Best supporting performance: Yocelin Torres, “Big Frog”; Benjamin Ramsey, “Hookman” and Eva Cullen, “Godspell”
• Outstanding student designer for exceptional lighting design: Alia Belinte
• Outstanding assistant designer for excellence in props: Vance Cook
• Best stage manager: Luis Castro, “Big Frog”
• Outstanding stage crew: “Hookman”
• Outstanding crew leader: Mattie Rumier
• Student award for leadership: Eva Cullen
• Student award for service: Indira Rucker
• Student award for outstanding contribution to a production: Alycia Herrera, dramaturg, “Godspell.”

Graduating seniors in the department in addition to Womble and Belinte are Darcy Harmon, Esther Rogge and Kaela Salcedo, who graduated last December.

Belinte and Harmon also received senior grants from the American Southwest Theatre Company, the nonprofit that supports the Theatre Department.

Theatre Department scholarships were awarded to Vance Cook, Athena McPeake, Omar Moreno, Eliza Phillis, Shawn Pirkle and Elia Vasquez.

NMSU Theatre’s nominees for Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival are Womble and Aslan Longoria. The alternates are Eva Cullen and Athena McPeake.