Dylan Ciminna
It is impossible to be near Dylan Ciminna and not smile. Dylan exudes joy and kindness. He also has a fantastic sense of humor. All this personal charisma comes across on stage and makes Dylan a performer who captures your attention immediately. It also makes him a scene stealer that you never want to leave the stage. His singing, dancing, and acting skills are first rate, and his astounding stage presence makes a life in performing his destiny. Don’t believe me? See for yourself this summer when Dylan appears in Theatre Frisco’s She Love Me.Take a few moments to learn more about the phenomenally talented Dylan Ciminna.
When was your first time on stage?
So my first time on stage was in the summer of 2016, my parents had signed me up to do this summer camp production of The Jungle Book. I got to be Ziggy the Vulture, I had one line, and spoke it in this absolutely awful Liverpool-cockney accent, so ultimately that has been my best work so far. No but in all seriousness for what it was, I remember it being a genuinely fun time, and I don’t think I’d still be acting today if I didn’t get those giggles from an audience for the first time.
When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
Alright, let me set the scene. The year is 2014. My mother had just come home with 2 Taco Bell party packs for me and my 4 siblings to eat for dinner. We decided we wanted to watch a movie with our dinner, so we opened Netflix to find something, and we stumbled across something called Shrek the Musical. We of course immediately put it on, expecting to watch some hot garbage, but I was immediately captivated with the music and comedy and performances, and I may not have realized it truly, but from that point on I knew that all I could do with my life is preform.
Who is your greatest mentor?
I would have to say right now, my greatest mentor has actually been two people, Camille Haley and Scott Taylor, my high school theatre directors. Not only did they teach me proper acting methods, script scoring, and all that fun stuff. But they also helped me a great deal in just my confidence as a performer. Especially in high school, when I would begin to feel nervous or panic while preforming, I would just kind of explode on stage and not think about what I was doing at all, and they genuinely helped me a great deal keep myself levelheaded, and gain confidence in my skills.
What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?
Okay this first one may just be because I just closed it and it’s still fresh on my brain, so I’ll say two. The first is Roger in The Producers and the second is Lumiere in Beauty and The Beast. Both are my favorites for the same general reason. I adore these roles because they both are just big fun comedic roles. I absolutely adore roles that are just pure comedy and these are the kind of roles that let me just kind of go off the rails, and really flex my comedic muscles. They also just happen to be associated with the fondest memories. The cast and crew of those two shows were just filled with the kindest, funniest, and hands down most lovely people I’ve ever worked with.
Do you have a dream role?
This is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child, and even though most parents do, I don’t have one singular role I could pick out. I’d love to play Igor from Young Frankenstein, Bud from Gutenberg, and Beetlejuice from Beetlejuice. I also genuinely dream of playing Charlie from Merrily We Roll Along.
What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?
If I could pick anyone, I think I would want to perform with Dick Van Dyke. Something I’ve always admired is his physical comedy, and that’s something I always try to emulate in my own work. I’d also love to do anything with Martin Short in any capacity. It could literally just be me grabbing him coffee, and I’d still be telling people about it for the next 50 years.
What performances have you seen that impressed you?
I actually just recently saw the production of Alice By Heart at Lakeside Community Theater. When I tell you that every single performer was born to play each of those roles, ESPECIALLY Ashley Tone as Alice, her character work and vocal placement was incredible. The choreography and commitment to that choreography by the entire ensemble was incredible, and if I could’ve seen every single performance I would have.
What are your career goals?
Well since I’m just starting out, I have a lot of bigger dreams and aspirations, but I think for the more recent future, I would like to perform with Lyric Stage or Casa Mañana soon. But if we’re talking long term? Being a native New Yorker (shoutout Commack, Long Island), I definitely dream about doing some professional work in the city.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m good at impressions, like if you can name a person, chances are I can impersonate them. My specialties are Forrest Gump, Jennifer Coolidge, and I do the best Patti LuPone in the DFW Metroplex.
