Aliza Moran, international education advisor at Rhodes College, and Melissa Andrews, theater coordinator, achieved notable success at the Ostrander Awards, which celebrated the best in local theater for the 2025-2026 season. The awards ceremony took place Aug. 30 at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center in Memphis.
Moran received awards for her direction and the overall production of the play The Drowning Girls, which ran from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2, 2025, at the New Moon Theatre in Midtown Memphis. The play is based on the true crime story of three young brides.
Andrews won for lighting design of The Drowning Girls.
In addition to Moran’s awards, The Drowning Girls won Ostrander Awards for sound design and its ensemble. Rhodes alum Nolita Palomar ’25 also was a member of the cast. April Vincent, assistant director of health professions advising at Rhodes, was stage manager.
Both Moran and Andrews have worked with the Rhodes Theatre Guild on the student group’s productions.