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Twenty Seven (Alabama Shakespeare Festival)
“Brian Wallace gives a wonderful performance as the Cajun who helps Aikins and Ellie... the quality of the play and performances make it clear that this won't be the last stop for Twenty Seven, which likely will be performed by theaters throughout the country...Faulkner's work and ASF's adaptation could both become Southern classics.”
-Rick Harmon, Montgomery Advertiser
Talley's Folly (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
“Magical... a kind of theatrical valentine... an irresistible ode... energetic, layered performances. Wallace finds the funny, driven exterior of a man who has lost everything but isn't about to let his unexpected chance at happiness slip away. A perfect example of what this theatre does so well.”
-Miami Herald
“Brian Wallace's mercurial performance as the Jewish accountant Matt Friedman drives and illuminates the story. He's a dazzling showman. Wallace's performance doesn't miss a beat.”
-Palm Beach Daily News
“Wallace is charming as Matt. It's enthralling to see the actor inhabit this spirited character. The play is magical in so many ways. [Y]ou'll feel like you've been part of a work of art from start to finish... The Roundabout Theatre Company has announced an upcoming Off-Broadway production of the play set for 2013, but there's no need to travel to New York, or wait until next year — Palm Beach Dramaworks' production is top of the line, and closer to home, too.”
-Miami Art Zine
“Theater to sigh over with a constant smile on your face.”
-Palm Beach Arts Paper
“Extraordinary performances... a 90-minute master class in character absorption. Exhibiting endless reserves of energy, Wallace never misses.... wonderful.”
-Boca Raton Magazine
“Wallace sells Friedman's romanticism by selling the back story that grounds him... both actors are beautifully convincing as a couple whose connection, both past and present, hinges on belief in what might seem folly. And they make you want to believe in it too.”
-Palm Beach Pulse
“Wallace, a Jacksonville native who works up and down the East Coast, is mesmerizing as Matt, a man whose affability instantly wins over the audience by deploying a gentle and self-deprecating humor with a quick-witted and nimble patter.”
-Florida Theater On Stage
“But when it comes right down to it, the acting makes or breaks Talley's Folly and here Dramaworks' casting excels. My wife, Ann, saw Judd Hirsch's performance as Matt in the 1980 award-winning Broadway production, but thought Brian Wallace's performance last night was every bit as credible. Brian has to carry some heavy lifting particularly with the opening monologue, and even though this was a preview performance, the first time the actors have played the role in front of a live audience, Mr. Wallace, making his first Dramaworks appearance (although an experienced actor in NY and in repertory productions), carried the role as if he's been performing it for months. He had the audience rooting for him right from the beginning and his ease in handling the diverse emotions of humor, anger, and disappointment, while practically pleading for Sally's hand, were moving.”
-Lacunae Musing
“The intensely likable Brian Wallace... compellingly acted.”
-The Sun-Sentinel
“Award-worthy performances... exuberant.”
-Florida Media News
Lifeline (Abingdon Theatre, NYC)
“Brian Wallace is spine-chillingly creepy as Ken... textured and skilled performance.”
-Catherine Rampell, New York Times
“Wallace and [Buzz] Roddy — two very different male energies, colliding — generate a musky chemistry that fills the Abingdon’s tiny June Havoc space with clear and present danger.”
-Scott Brown, New York Magazine
(This review rather makes it sound like Buzz and I could be in love. He has his charms, but I swear we are just friends.)
“Some sharp surprises... performances are uniformly excellent.”
-Diana Barth, The Epoch Times
“Wallace does fine work as Ken.”
-Mark Peikert, Backstage
An Error of the Moon (Off-Broadway run)
“Brian Wallace's outstanding performance as The Player is to be commended—his acute physical and vocal ability allowed him to convincingly transition between distinct roles including a simple-minded follower of John, one of Lincoln's bodyguards, and an old actor-friend of Edwin... brilliant.”
-Keelie A. Sheridan, NYTheatre.com
“... Brian Wallace who plays multiple roles, each of which has its own peculiar quirks; when handled by Wallace they seem innate.”
-Andrew C. McGibbon, TheAndyGram.com
“The fourth member of the ensemble, Brian Wallace, delivers fine work in several supporting roles, most notably a dolt of a companion to John Wilkes.”
-Andy Propst, TheatreMania
“In the multiple-part role of The Player, Brian Wallace subtly creates three distinct and identifiable people: a dimwitted associate of John Wilkes, a loyal friend of Edwin, and the bullying marshal assigned to protect Lincoln.”
-David Sheward, Backstage
“Brian Wallace rounds out the cast, filling in several small roles with flair.”
-Jennifer Farrar, Associated Press
“Stronger still is stage vet Brian Wallace in a number of supporting roles that demonstrate his great range, humor, and wit (Full disclosure: Brian appeared in two plays which I wrote; for one of these he was nominated in the New York Innovative Theater Awards for Best Actor of the Year).”
-Jonathan Leaf, Edge NYC
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Arkansas Repertory Theater)
“The Rep's Cat packs a lot of heat... the supporting cast members give pitch-perfect performances, from Brian Wallace, who plays the protagonist Brick's unloved brother, to his on-stage mother, Kathleen Doyle.”
-Bobby Ampezzan, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
“The best in lighting, acting, and visceral emotions... the cast who bring these fine but infuriating folk to life deserve kudos.”
-Spencer Watson, Sync Weekly
“Delightful.”
-Robert Shearon, The North Little Rock Times
“Brian Wallace is able to sum up the great fecklessness of his character with his silent hand gestures.”
-Werner Trieschmann, Arkansas Times
(You see now how all that hand acting paid off?)
The Good Negro (The Public Theater/Dallas Theater Center)
“First-rate performances across the board.”
-Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
“Stellar acting...intriguing and shocking...fresh and alive. The actors are sensational.”
-Lawson Taitte, The Dallas Morning News
“Meaty, engrossing theater.”
-Sam Thielman, Variety
“Savvy, stirring... funny and quirky.”
-Jerome Weeks, KERA Dallas
“The most important play of the season... superlative in every department... the ensemble is outstanding.”
-Martin Denton, NYTheatre.com
“It's an understatement to call DTC's current show The Good Negro 'good.' The play, its cast, its staging, and its subject are sublime... dazzles... The Good Negro is nothing short of a prayer.”
-Joan Frances Arbery, Oak Cliff/People Newspapers
“Superb ensemble of actors.”
-Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press
“The cast is uniformly excellent.”
-Perry Stewart, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
“Beautifully acted.”
-Mark Lowery, Pegasus News
“Forceful cast... impressive ensemble...great theater.”
-Elaine Liner, Dallas Observer
“The cast is uniformly effective and I can do no more than respectfully list their names... powerful.”
-John Simon, Bloomberg
“Sterling... oh my goodness, it's thrilling... some of the best acting I've seen in years... a cast of nine performers who are consistently excellent and frequently downright brilliant.”
-Joy Tipping, artsblog.guidelive.com
“The nine actors are all top notch... one patron sitting next to me observed at intermission, 'This is certainly progress... I love it!' Can I get an Amen?”
-Arnold Wayne Jones, Dallas Voice
Moonlight and Magnolias (Capital Repertory Theatre)
“Brian Wallace is terrific. He finds the frenetic energy of the single-minded Selznick, a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to make a successful film. Wallace makes funny the extremes he will go to and shows us the man's integrity and passion.”
-Bob Goepfert, The Troy Record
“The laughter is loud, frequent, and full... Moonlight and Magnolias is tailor-made for folks who like to laugh and aficionados of refined comic acting.”
-James Yeara, Metroland
“Brian Wallace plays Selznick with verve and negotiates the second act shift with grace... the play magically slips from entertainment to art.”
-Michael Eck, Albany Times-Union
The Caterers (Immediate Theater Company)
2006 Innovative Theater Award nomination—Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
“So nightmarishly believable a portrait of terrorism in action that the friend with whom I saw it had a panic attack when it was over.”
-Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal
“Electric... the character of Mohammed is adroitly drawn. As played by Brian Wallace, he's a fierce unyielding man, but a witty and charismatic one.”
-Mark Steyn, The New Criterion
“… grabs you by the lapels, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and doesn’t let you go until good and ready… Brian Wallace never dehumanizes the terrorist.”
-Howard Kissel, New York Daily News
“Mohammed is played frighteningly well by Brian Wallace. When the play ends it is hard to shake the feeling that you have just spent the past 80 minutes locked in a room with a terrorist.”
-Off Off Online
“Mr. Wallace gives Mohammed an urbane charm… transcends the role’s innate stereotypes.”
-Eric Grode, The New York Sun
American Primitive: John & Abigail (Berkshire Theatre Festival)
“As John Adams, Brian Wallace’s portrayal is perfect… inventive, passionate, and moving.”
-Ron Lee, WBRK Radio
“The two lead actors, Brian Wallace and Tabitha McKown, [have a] stage presence and intensity that belie their grad student status.”
-Simi Horowitz, American Theatre Magazine
“Brian Wallace is impressive as Adams. He effectively embodies the statesman’s frustration at being torn between family and destiny. And he intones Adams’ best writings with the authority of an important man.”
-Michael Eck, The Times-Union
“Brian Wallace… gives an emotionally powerful performance rich with nuances of the public and private man… [Playwright] William Gibson isn’t laughing at the new American Primitive. Instead he marvels with obvious pleasure at how director English and Brian Wallace and Tabitha McKown have gotten the script just right. And so they have…[They] have given Mr. Gibson’s play a new life that could well result in its resurfacing elsewhere after this brief run ends.”
-Curtain Up
The Germans in Paris (Verse Theater Manhattan)
“Brian Wallace is hilarious and steals every scene he’s in.”
-Duncan Pflaster, Broadway World
“Brian Wallace shines in his portrait of Wagner.”
-Garrett Eisler, The Village Voice
“The cast is uniformly excellent… the rare off-off Broadway experience that really delivers the goods.”
-Steve Weinstein, Edge NYC
Power Play/The Death of Zukasky (Lake Theatre)
“One of the best shows the Dinner Theatre has produced since I’ve been attending over the last 10 years… if you haven’t been in a while, this is the year I’d suggest going.”
-Cathy DeDe, The Chronicle
“Wallace and [Michael] Frederic are excellent.”
-Bob Rose, The Post-Star
“The four performers make magic… excellent work by Wallace… I’d walk a mile to see each of them in another role.”
-Paul Lamarr, The Daily Gazette
“Brian Wallace gives a wonderful performance as the Cajun who helps Aikins and Ellie... the quality of the play and performances make it clear that this won't be the last stop for Twenty Seven, which likely will be performed by theaters throughout the country...Faulkner's work and ASF's adaptation could both become Southern classics.”
-Rick Harmon, Montgomery Advertiser
Talley's Folly (Palm Beach Dramaworks)
“Magical... a kind of theatrical valentine... an irresistible ode... energetic, layered performances. Wallace finds the funny, driven exterior of a man who has lost everything but isn't about to let his unexpected chance at happiness slip away. A perfect example of what this theatre does so well.”
-Miami Herald
“Brian Wallace's mercurial performance as the Jewish accountant Matt Friedman drives and illuminates the story. He's a dazzling showman. Wallace's performance doesn't miss a beat.”
-Palm Beach Daily News
“Wallace is charming as Matt. It's enthralling to see the actor inhabit this spirited character. The play is magical in so many ways. [Y]ou'll feel like you've been part of a work of art from start to finish... The Roundabout Theatre Company has announced an upcoming Off-Broadway production of the play set for 2013, but there's no need to travel to New York, or wait until next year — Palm Beach Dramaworks' production is top of the line, and closer to home, too.”
-Miami Art Zine
“Theater to sigh over with a constant smile on your face.”
-Palm Beach Arts Paper
“Extraordinary performances... a 90-minute master class in character absorption. Exhibiting endless reserves of energy, Wallace never misses.... wonderful.”
-Boca Raton Magazine
“Wallace sells Friedman's romanticism by selling the back story that grounds him... both actors are beautifully convincing as a couple whose connection, both past and present, hinges on belief in what might seem folly. And they make you want to believe in it too.”
-Palm Beach Pulse
“Wallace, a Jacksonville native who works up and down the East Coast, is mesmerizing as Matt, a man whose affability instantly wins over the audience by deploying a gentle and self-deprecating humor with a quick-witted and nimble patter.”
-Florida Theater On Stage
“But when it comes right down to it, the acting makes or breaks Talley's Folly and here Dramaworks' casting excels. My wife, Ann, saw Judd Hirsch's performance as Matt in the 1980 award-winning Broadway production, but thought Brian Wallace's performance last night was every bit as credible. Brian has to carry some heavy lifting particularly with the opening monologue, and even though this was a preview performance, the first time the actors have played the role in front of a live audience, Mr. Wallace, making his first Dramaworks appearance (although an experienced actor in NY and in repertory productions), carried the role as if he's been performing it for months. He had the audience rooting for him right from the beginning and his ease in handling the diverse emotions of humor, anger, and disappointment, while practically pleading for Sally's hand, were moving.”
-Lacunae Musing
“The intensely likable Brian Wallace... compellingly acted.”
-The Sun-Sentinel
“Award-worthy performances... exuberant.”
-Florida Media News
Lifeline (Abingdon Theatre, NYC)
“Brian Wallace is spine-chillingly creepy as Ken... textured and skilled performance.”
-Catherine Rampell, New York Times
“Wallace and [Buzz] Roddy — two very different male energies, colliding — generate a musky chemistry that fills the Abingdon’s tiny June Havoc space with clear and present danger.”
-Scott Brown, New York Magazine
(This review rather makes it sound like Buzz and I could be in love. He has his charms, but I swear we are just friends.)
“Some sharp surprises... performances are uniformly excellent.”
-Diana Barth, The Epoch Times
“Wallace does fine work as Ken.”
-Mark Peikert, Backstage
An Error of the Moon (Off-Broadway run)
“Brian Wallace's outstanding performance as The Player is to be commended—his acute physical and vocal ability allowed him to convincingly transition between distinct roles including a simple-minded follower of John, one of Lincoln's bodyguards, and an old actor-friend of Edwin... brilliant.”
-Keelie A. Sheridan, NYTheatre.com
“... Brian Wallace who plays multiple roles, each of which has its own peculiar quirks; when handled by Wallace they seem innate.”
-Andrew C. McGibbon, TheAndyGram.com
“The fourth member of the ensemble, Brian Wallace, delivers fine work in several supporting roles, most notably a dolt of a companion to John Wilkes.”
-Andy Propst, TheatreMania
“In the multiple-part role of The Player, Brian Wallace subtly creates three distinct and identifiable people: a dimwitted associate of John Wilkes, a loyal friend of Edwin, and the bullying marshal assigned to protect Lincoln.”
-David Sheward, Backstage
“Brian Wallace rounds out the cast, filling in several small roles with flair.”
-Jennifer Farrar, Associated Press
“Stronger still is stage vet Brian Wallace in a number of supporting roles that demonstrate his great range, humor, and wit (Full disclosure: Brian appeared in two plays which I wrote; for one of these he was nominated in the New York Innovative Theater Awards for Best Actor of the Year).”
-Jonathan Leaf, Edge NYC
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Arkansas Repertory Theater)
“The Rep's Cat packs a lot of heat... the supporting cast members give pitch-perfect performances, from Brian Wallace, who plays the protagonist Brick's unloved brother, to his on-stage mother, Kathleen Doyle.”
-Bobby Ampezzan, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
“The best in lighting, acting, and visceral emotions... the cast who bring these fine but infuriating folk to life deserve kudos.”
-Spencer Watson, Sync Weekly
“Delightful.”
-Robert Shearon, The North Little Rock Times
“Brian Wallace is able to sum up the great fecklessness of his character with his silent hand gestures.”
-Werner Trieschmann, Arkansas Times
(You see now how all that hand acting paid off?)
The Good Negro (The Public Theater/Dallas Theater Center)
“First-rate performances across the board.”
-Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
“Stellar acting...intriguing and shocking...fresh and alive. The actors are sensational.”
-Lawson Taitte, The Dallas Morning News
“Meaty, engrossing theater.”
-Sam Thielman, Variety
“Savvy, stirring... funny and quirky.”
-Jerome Weeks, KERA Dallas
“The most important play of the season... superlative in every department... the ensemble is outstanding.”
-Martin Denton, NYTheatre.com
“It's an understatement to call DTC's current show The Good Negro 'good.' The play, its cast, its staging, and its subject are sublime... dazzles... The Good Negro is nothing short of a prayer.”
-Joan Frances Arbery, Oak Cliff/People Newspapers
“Superb ensemble of actors.”
-Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press
“The cast is uniformly excellent.”
-Perry Stewart, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
“Beautifully acted.”
-Mark Lowery, Pegasus News
“Forceful cast... impressive ensemble...great theater.”
-Elaine Liner, Dallas Observer
“The cast is uniformly effective and I can do no more than respectfully list their names... powerful.”
-John Simon, Bloomberg
“Sterling... oh my goodness, it's thrilling... some of the best acting I've seen in years... a cast of nine performers who are consistently excellent and frequently downright brilliant.”
-Joy Tipping, artsblog.guidelive.com
“The nine actors are all top notch... one patron sitting next to me observed at intermission, 'This is certainly progress... I love it!' Can I get an Amen?”
-Arnold Wayne Jones, Dallas Voice
Moonlight and Magnolias (Capital Repertory Theatre)
“Brian Wallace is terrific. He finds the frenetic energy of the single-minded Selznick, a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to make a successful film. Wallace makes funny the extremes he will go to and shows us the man's integrity and passion.”
-Bob Goepfert, The Troy Record
“The laughter is loud, frequent, and full... Moonlight and Magnolias is tailor-made for folks who like to laugh and aficionados of refined comic acting.”
-James Yeara, Metroland
“Brian Wallace plays Selznick with verve and negotiates the second act shift with grace... the play magically slips from entertainment to art.”
-Michael Eck, Albany Times-Union
The Caterers (Immediate Theater Company)
2006 Innovative Theater Award nomination—Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
“So nightmarishly believable a portrait of terrorism in action that the friend with whom I saw it had a panic attack when it was over.”
-Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal
“Electric... the character of Mohammed is adroitly drawn. As played by Brian Wallace, he's a fierce unyielding man, but a witty and charismatic one.”
-Mark Steyn, The New Criterion
“… grabs you by the lapels, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and doesn’t let you go until good and ready… Brian Wallace never dehumanizes the terrorist.”
-Howard Kissel, New York Daily News
“Mohammed is played frighteningly well by Brian Wallace. When the play ends it is hard to shake the feeling that you have just spent the past 80 minutes locked in a room with a terrorist.”
-Off Off Online
“Mr. Wallace gives Mohammed an urbane charm… transcends the role’s innate stereotypes.”
-Eric Grode, The New York Sun
American Primitive: John & Abigail (Berkshire Theatre Festival)
“As John Adams, Brian Wallace’s portrayal is perfect… inventive, passionate, and moving.”
-Ron Lee, WBRK Radio
“The two lead actors, Brian Wallace and Tabitha McKown, [have a] stage presence and intensity that belie their grad student status.”
-Simi Horowitz, American Theatre Magazine
“Brian Wallace is impressive as Adams. He effectively embodies the statesman’s frustration at being torn between family and destiny. And he intones Adams’ best writings with the authority of an important man.”
-Michael Eck, The Times-Union
“Brian Wallace… gives an emotionally powerful performance rich with nuances of the public and private man… [Playwright] William Gibson isn’t laughing at the new American Primitive. Instead he marvels with obvious pleasure at how director English and Brian Wallace and Tabitha McKown have gotten the script just right. And so they have…[They] have given Mr. Gibson’s play a new life that could well result in its resurfacing elsewhere after this brief run ends.”
-Curtain Up
The Germans in Paris (Verse Theater Manhattan)
“Brian Wallace is hilarious and steals every scene he’s in.”
-Duncan Pflaster, Broadway World
“Brian Wallace shines in his portrait of Wagner.”
-Garrett Eisler, The Village Voice
“The cast is uniformly excellent… the rare off-off Broadway experience that really delivers the goods.”
-Steve Weinstein, Edge NYC
Power Play/The Death of Zukasky (Lake Theatre)
“One of the best shows the Dinner Theatre has produced since I’ve been attending over the last 10 years… if you haven’t been in a while, this is the year I’d suggest going.”
-Cathy DeDe, The Chronicle
“Wallace and [Michael] Frederic are excellent.”
-Bob Rose, The Post-Star
“The four performers make magic… excellent work by Wallace… I’d walk a mile to see each of them in another role.”
-Paul Lamarr, The Daily Gazette