Belmont Abbey College Awards Simon Donoghue Lifetime Achievement Award Belmont, N.C. (May 1, 2026) – During its third annual Celebration of the Arts Dinner and Reception, Belmont Abbey College awarded Simon Donoghue a Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of dedication and service to the college and the broader performing arts community. Simon Donoghue served for 48 years as Director of the Abbey Players, one of the longest-running theatre troupes in North Carolina, with 143 consecutive seasons. In addition to his considerable gifts as playwright, actor, and director, Simon is an exceptional teacher and mentor, and his impact on the last fifty years of Abbey Players and Belmont Abbey students cannot be overstated.  Throughout his tenure, Simon built a substantial and thriving campus community and developed collaborative relationships with the local performing arts. Under his faithful leadership, the Abbey Players brought together not only students, faculty, staff, and monks, but also local professionals, enriching the student experience and expanding the network of community theatre in the Carolinas. He also played a vital role in both the full 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 Fr. John Oetgen.  As Christopher Donoghue, Simon’s son and current Director of the Abbey Players, notes, “For almost one third of the existence of the Abbey Players, he was at the helm. My father is the reason the Performing Arts Department exists at Belmont Abbey. We all benefit from his legacy.” Kristin Hayes, Chair of the Performing Arts Department, adds, “We are thrilled to honor Simon Donoghue with the  Lifetime Achievement Award. Through his dedication and hard work, the Performing Arts Department at Belmont Abbey College was born. He has impacted the lives of so...