BELMONT — During its third annual Celebration of the Arts dinner and reception May 1, Belmont Abbey College awarded Simon Donoghue a Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of dedication and service to the college and the performing arts community.
Donoghue served for 48 years as director of the Abbey Players, one of the longest-running theater troupes in the state. Besides being a playwright, actor and director, Donoghue is a teacher and mentor.
Throughout his 50-year tenure, Donoghue built a campus community and developed collaborative relationships with local performing arts groups.
Under his leadership, the Abbey Players brought in local professionals, expanding the network of community theater in the Carolinas. He also played a vital role in the renovation of the Haid Theatre in 1987 and the establishment of the performing arts as a recognized academic department, with majors, minors, and a premier scholarship named for Father John Oetgen.
— Belmont Abbey College