David Mingrino Interview by Jen Bush

When he’s not haunting mazes or playing mind games (film roles he held), David Mingrino is on a theatrical stage.  He has been in over 100 productions and his latest stage endeavor is Someone Close to You Playing at Theatre West in L.A. on February 3^rd and 4^th.  He plays the role of Henry, and we were happily able to have a brief chat with him about his work in the arts.

Mr. Mingrino has multiple skill sets which serve him well in the entertainment industry.  He finds it gratifying to be on both the stage and the screen.  “To keep it brief…I’m an actor, stage manager and director…I have been in about 5 indie films and many shorts…but I have been on stage in over 100 productions…I love both theatre and film…as different as they are…they both have a fulfilling quality different from each other…”

When artists take on a role, they also take on several responsibilities including providing a genuine experience to the audience.  Sometimes they have an unexpected positive impact on audience members.  “I think everything we do has a shared sense of responsibility…sometimes it is just to entertain…but sometimes it’s a story that can help…I recently did a production “The Man Who Saved Everything” by Ben Scuglia about a hoarder…I was amazed at the response from clinicians that deal with hoarders at how accurate I portrayed the character and how helpful it was…we held talkbacks one a week…and people thanked us for what this play did for them.”

Mr. Mingrino has a strong work ethic which includes an immense amount of respect for playwrights and their work.  “As far as this show is concerned…it’s about the playwright…we try to bring to life her words so she and the producer get an idea of the script…how it plays and if there are any changes that need to be made…or not. I personally try to bring as much reality to my part without distracting from the words that need to be herd…if it goes into production…that is when we delve deep into the work.”

You can see Mr. Mingrino and the rest of the brilliant cast in the deeply moving performances of Someone Close To You at Theatre West in Los Angeles on February 3^rd and February 4^th.