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BELMONT, NC --- It may not be American Idol, but it’s close. Think of it as an academic talent search for theatre enthusiasts that encourages a study of the arts – minus a recording contract.
Talented high school students with a special passion for Shakespeare and the theatre will get a chance to prove it during a regional competition on May 20, 2006 at the Haid Theatre at Belmont Abbey College.
A panel of judges, which will include theatre artists and Shakespeare scholars from Charlotte and the local acting community, will select a winning high school junior or sophomore who best performs a monologue or soliloquy selected from a Shakespearean play. Students, who will be required to perform from memory without the assistance of props or costumes, must also be nominated by their high school drama or English teacher to qualify.
The Haid Prize, a cash award of $500, will be given to the winner of the competition on May 20th.
“This is a natural outgrowth of the Shakespeare series The Abbey Players has done for the last 20 years,” says Simon Donoghue, theatre director at Belmont Abbey College. “The goal is to stimulate an interest in Shakespeare in the Charlotte metro region and encourage students to develop their talents beyond their high school experience. For many, this competition will be an opportunity for students to excel doing something most never get a chance to do.”
A maximum of two nominees from each high school will be permitted to compete for The Haid Prize. The deadline for all nominations is March 24, 2006. All nominations should be sent to Simon Donoghue, Director of Theatre, Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont, NC 28012.
In addition to the competition, The Abbey Players will also offer
free tickets to select groups from area high schools in Gaston, Mecklenburg and Cleveland counties for an exclusive performance of MACBETH on March 1, 2006.
For more information, please contact Simon Donoghue at sdonoghue@bac.edu or 704.461.6787.
The Haid Prize commemorates Leo Haid, O.S.B, the first Abbot of Belmont Abbey, Bishop of the Vicariate Apostolic of North Carolina and an early President of Belmont Abbey College. During his time as abbot, Leo Haid also fostered the development of theatre on campus, served as a playwright for the Abbey Players, and oversaw the construction of the St. Leo Theatre in 1906. His rich legacy of achievement is displayed all over the campus and grounds of Belmont Abbey. One of the most prominent is the theatrical heritage that has been a part of both the campus and larger community since 1883.
The Abbey Players have been in continuous production since 1884, a proven asset to the cultural life of Gaston County and the greater-Charlotte area for more than 100 years. "The Players" have called the Haid Theatre on the campus of Belmont Abbey College home since 1979. Simon Donoghue, an associate professor of Fine Arts at the Abbey, is also a highly acclaimed theatre director and is celebrating his 29th year with the Abbey Players.
Ranked one of the best comprehensive colleges in the Southeast by U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review, Belmont Abbey College celebrates excellence and virtue steeped in its 129-year Catholic Benedictine heritage. The liberal arts College is home to students from over 34 states and 26 countries and welcomes everyone from any background or tradition committed to this vision of excellence and virtue. The campus consists of the College, the Monastery and the Abbey Basilica, which can be found on its sprawling 650 acres of picturesque landscape.
Just minutes from Charlotte, NC, the nation’s second largest banking center, Belmont Abbey College offers students numerous internship opportunities and career placement.
The College believes in development of the whole person – mind, body and spirit. By offering a wide array of clubs and activities including Division II athletics, theatre, publications, and study abroad, Belmont Abbey College invests in the personal growth of its students.
Founded in 1876, the College celebrates its heritage and is inspired by the Benedictine monastic tradition. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the College and Abbey Basilica greet thousands of visitors each year.
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