Cultivate the talents of performing artists
Not only have hundreds of students and alumni found a home with the Performing Arts Department (PAD) programs across their remarkable history, but in a single year, over 50,000 audience members enjoy the generous and remarkable creativity of the Abbey Players, the Dance Program, and the Choir – as well as all those who bring life to Arts at the Abbey, a series of free concerts and performances open to the public.
If you have yet to attend a Performing Arts Department show, you may not realize what you’re missing. But ask any students or alumni, and they’ll tell you that dance, theater (musical and otherwise), and music are a potent force on campus. In fact, the PAD’s primary struggles involve meeting the ever-increasing student demand for new classes, larger casts, and other opportunities. The Dance Showcase alone has doubled in size in the past three years, as more and more students invest their time, energy, and gifts in the performing arts.
In fact, with 140 years of continuous theater on campus, the Haid is the longest-running theater in the state of North Carolina, cultivating community, creativity, and enjoyment, both within the Abbey family and beyond, since its opening in 1883.
This growing legacy increasingly stretches the department’s resources, which makes opportunities like the Founders’ Day Challenge all the more critical to the future of Abbey Performing Arts. Last year’s donations provided students the opportunity to participate in the Belmont Summer Dance Festival performance; purchased costumes for the Dance Showcase and funded additional performance opportunities.
This Founders’ Day, we are fundraising to:
- Establish a Shakespearean troupe to travel to local high schools
- Refurbish the stage
- Enable students to participate in further adjudicated and performance opportunities including the ACDA
- Provide professional development for professors, specifically through the National Shakespeare Conference
And, as a special thank you during the Founders’ Day Challenge, each donation of $5 or more will get Tiny Saint Benedict key chain!
Make a Gift to support Performing Arts Today!
Recent Donations
“I love the Abbey Players because they are such a welcoming community and everyone involved truly wants to see you succeed. Especially since it’s a community theater you get to make friends with people around the area and even work with professionals.”
Aspen Terrell
me the opportunity to learn and grow in theater, but has also given me such a good community of friends, connections, and support. They challenged me to go out of my comfort zone and give me new ways to expand my knowledge in theater. It has been such a rewarding and creative outlet for me and for many students, who need it in the midst of a busy academic life.”