For actor Robert Dioguardi ’93, the recent additions to the Curry campus are especially moving. Like so many other alumni who participated in Curry’s theatre program over the years, the 2006 opening of the Keith Auditorium represented a great source of pride and accomplishment.
“It means students pursuing theatre as a profession or as an interest get a solid representation of what it is, something sizable and meaningful,” remarked Robert.
“It is a real space that provides real experience and opportunity for expression.”
Robert is an accomplished actor living and working in New York City. His credits include the role of David Silver in the 20th Century Fox release The Family Stone, the lead role in the award-winning independent film Ocean City, and Bringer, a feature length independent film starring John Krasinski of television’s The Office. Robert also has several television and stage credits including MacBeth and a recurring role on the daytime drama One Life to Live.
Robert remembers his time at Curry and the instructors he encountered as having a profound effect on his development. He recalls Writing for Broadcast Media as one class in particular that helped draw out his creative side in conjunction with the immeasurable support from longtime Theatre Professor Debra Lee Garren, known simply as D-L to the many she has influenced. It was the personal attention he received through the Program for the Advancement of Learning and the help of his advisor Dr. Sally Snowman which gave him the opportunity to flourish.
“She taught me usable skills I still use today,” recalled Robert. “She never characterized my learning differences as weaknesses, simply areas I needed to strengthen.”
The son of the head electrician at Broadway’s landmark Eugene O’Neill Theater, Robert has made acting and working with actors a lifelong commitment. In addition to his own work, he has influenced the work of others as a life coach and as a consultant for actors new to the business and new to New York City. He helps them understand the basics and how to build a solid foundation for their careers. He is also the founder, along with his wife Anna, of the Workshop Theatre Project which brings together actors, writers and directors to aid their professional development. The true spirit of education is alive when people like Robert pass along knowledge and abilities to others, just as it was passed along to him.