Lucca Lofaro ’25: I Got This

During my college search, I researched schools that would provide me with classical theater training, while giving me the opportunity to build a strong liberal arts foundation. Hofstra checked the boxes of everything I wanted. And when I came to tour the campus, it just felt right.

As a student in the Drama program, I’ve been cast in a variety of roles and genres. I have been in musicals and comedies, as well as three touring companies that bring abridged Shakespeare plays to area high schools as a part of Hofstra’s annual Shakespeare Festival. These opportunities allowed me to build on what I was learning in class and to grow as a human being, as well as a theater artist.

In addition to performing, I have worked in the scene shop, building sets for all our shows. I gained an understanding of and appreciation for all the work that goes into producing a show that isn’t seen by an audience. Beyond pursuing a career as a performer, I have a job offer to do technical theater work at a distinctive performance space in Brooklyn.

One of the most important lessons I have learned at Hofstra is that your educational experience is your own. It’s up to each student to find a unique path that will make their time in college more fulfilling.

Congratulations on the start of your Hofstra journey. Whether you’ll be on stage or in a lab or lecture hall, I know you’ll find kinship among the students and professors you meet. No matter what program, major, or road you choose to take, remember that it belongs to you.

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MORE ABOUT LUCCA

While looking at colleges, Lucca Lofaro had some non-negotiables on his wish list.

The Woodstock, New York, resident intended to study drama but was insistent that his education be well-rounded. He also wanted to stay on the East Coast and be close to New York City’s theaters and arts scene.

After touring Hofstra’s campus, Lucca said his decision was easy. “Hofstra checked the boxes of everything I wanted.” The Drama program at Hofstra has been central to Lucca’s time on campus. He was cast in a main stage production every semester he was eligible to audition, most recently as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls.

He participated in three of the University’s annual Shakespeare Festivals, acting in one-hour adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, and King Lear. Lucca said, “The great thing about those performances was touring them to local high schools and libraries. I love Shakespeare, but I also love the idea of making Shakespeare’s work accessible to new audiences.”

Lucca’s interest in taking classes outside of drama led him to an unexpected academic passion: anthropology.

“I have a love of history and the social sciences, but I knew very little about anthropology,” he said. “I took a class focused a race and ethnicity from an anthropological perspective, and it just completely changed my world.”

Lucca has especially enjoyed the courses he has taken with Professor Bradley Phillippi, leading him to declare a minor in anthropology. “Dr. Phillippi has been a real influence on how I dedicate myself to academics outside of drama. He’s an energetic and inspiring teacher.”

In addition to his onstage work, Lucca has spent considerable time working in the scene shop, building sets for the Department of Drama and Dance.

“My supervisors, Jim Hart, Brian Canese, and Tom McCoy, introduced me to the world of working with my hands in theater. They are the reason I have a job offer doing technical work at The Space at Irondale in Brooklyn.”

With his job offer secured and intentions to audition for acting roles, Lucca is prepared for life after graduation – thanks to the training, opportunities, and support he received at Hofstra.

» Lucca’s story isn’t unique. In fact, among Hofstra University’s 2022-2023 undergraduate degree recipients, 87% of alumni from Hofstra's School of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts (within Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) reported they were employed or had started or were planning to start graduate school within one year of graduation. Results are based on data collected from the Alumni Outcomes survey, LinkedIn, National Student Clearinghouse, and Hofstra enrollment (81% knowledge rate). Visit hofstra.edu/outcomes for detailed information.

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