Tim Cummings

Tim Cummings (born Timothy P Cummings on January 15, 1973) is an American television, film and stage actor known for having Understudied a slew of A-List actors in a reputable Off-Broadway play The Guys as well as an acclaimed Broadway revival Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune starring Edie Falco and Stanley Tucci.

Cummings was 28 years old and a company member of The Flea Theater when he was cast to understudy Bill Murray for the role of Nick, a Fire Captain who lost most of his men on 9/11 in Anne Nelson's The Guys which was written in response to the attacks. The play ran for over a year with a revolving cast of A-List actors including Sigourney Weaver and Bill Irwin, Susan Sarandon and Anthony LaPaglia, Swoosie Kurtz and Tim Robbins, Amy Irving and Tom Wopat. Cummings performed numerous times for each actor.

Tony-winning director Joe Mantello saw Cummings perform the role and later cast him to understudy Stanley Tucci in the Broadway revival production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune starring Edie Falco. It was Cummings's Broadway debut.

In September of 2006, Cummings returned to The Flea for the 5-year anniversary commemorative performances of the show.[[1]]

Family

Cummings was born in Port Jefferson, New York to James A. Cummings (a Fire Lieutenant with the NYFD for 30 years, now retired) and is the youngest of 6 siblings.

Education

Cummings graduated from Comsewogue High School in 1991, having appeared in numerous stage productions there, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Twelve Angry Men, Babes in Arms, and You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. He was also the President of the the school's Drama Society, and received a scholarship to attend New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He received a BFA w/ Honors from New York University in 1995.

While at NYU, he studied at The Stella Adler Conservatory and The Experimental Theater Wing. He performed in productions of The White Album Project, Fornes's The Conduct of Life, Brecht's Threepenny Opera, Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, Shaw's Man & Superman, Durang's Naomi In The Living Room and Maeterlink's The Intruder.

Career

After graduating, Cummings began performing as a company member in two of New York City's most reputable downtown theater & dance companies: Big Dance Theater and The Builders Association with whom he toured extensively, peforming in festivals all across US, the UK, and all of Europe. Both companies have won numerous awards.

Later he joined The Flea Theater as a company member where he performed in Mac Wellman's Sincerity Forever & Cleveland & Three Americanisms as well as a Melodrama version of Billy the Kid written by Walter Woods in 1906. He also directed an original comedy by playwright Kenny Finkle, called Transatlantica [2]. [3]

A move to Los Angeles in 2004 found him doing more television and film work, as well as continuing his ascent as a professional theater artist. Cummings was nominated for an LA Weekly Theater Award for his work in Lanford Wilson's Burn This[4]. He was also nominated for a Garland Award for his work in The Laguna Playhouse world premiere production of Richard Dresser's The Pursuit of Happiness[5]

Personal

• Cummings has always had an affinity for Marine Biology and nearly chose it as his career.
• He is also a dance-theater artist and is a member of the Los Angeles based company The Outsiders
• He is a writer and has authored novels, plays, screenplays, short stories and essays.

External Links

• Tim Cummings at IMDb

• Tim Cummings at the Internet Broadway Database

Notes

1. Davis, N. "The Villager" Five years Later, Still One Of The Guys Volume 76, Number 16. September 6 - 12, 2006

2. Urban, K. "NY Theatre" nytheatre Archive 2001-02 Theatre Season Reviews New Plays (off/off-off Broadway)

3. Weber, B. "New York Times" When the Dead Keep Coming Back to Life Published: June 4, 2002, Tuesday

4. Morris, Steven Leigh "LA Weekly" The Nominees for the 26th Annual LA Weekly Theater Awards Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 12:00 am

5. "Backstage" 2008 Garland Awards: For Excellence in Southland Theatre February 28, 2008