David 
Whalen

MCNEAL:  Charleston Daily News

"David Whalen’s portrayal of Jacob McNeal was nothing short of exquisite.  It is the work of a master stage artist.  Mr. Whalen found an inner strength in this role allowed him to express regret, anger and obsession and in the end, even find forgiveness within himself with poignant thoughtfulness and transparency. "

HENRY JOHNSON: Pittsburgh Quarterly

"David Whalen is one of the few actors I’ve witnessed whose physiognomy is totally subsumed by his interiority.  His appearance transmogrifies with each role, not through the help of makeup or costumes, but by the way his character’s essence emerges, like a man swallowing his own ego and regurgitating the bile of lost humanness. "

OLEANNA: Burgh Vivant

 

"Whalen’s portrayal is a master class in acting. He is brilliant in this role— totally embodying his character. Every gesture, voice inflection, and facial expression is intentional and riveting."

American Buffalo - Pittsburgh Quarterly

"David Whalen's performance is so intrinsic, uneffected and unadorned, it makes you feel sorry for all the losers in the world. Whalen's brilliance lies in giving Donny no irony. It is again, a superb, sublime portrayal."

Macbeth at PICT Classic Theatre - Pittsburgh City Paper

"David Whalen, as the eponymous king, is a sight to behold. While there are a number of strong turns among the supporting players, Whalen commands the stage in a way that eclipses those around him. His textured performance runs the gamut from joy to guilt to the inevitable megalomania, yet at no point does he waver from the core of his conflicted character."

CityBeat: Cincinnati Playhouse's 'Misery'

"David Whalen’s strong, witty and sincere performance as Paul is part of what allows the tension to slowly build and snake out into the audience. Whalen’s commitment to Paul’s immobility, his pain and eventual panic, are essential to that connection. Whalen adds a necessary grit to the maniacal production that keeps it centered and real."

The Blue Grass Mile - Burgh Vivant

"David Whalen is wonderful as the Sheriff, exhibiting an intense performance of strong emotions - and a surprisingly softer side. It is a triumphant portrayal."

Snakes on a stage - a review of “The Speckled Band” - 'Burgh …

 

"Whalen is Sherlock. He’s reprised the role so many times, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else under the deerstalker hat. He thrives, playing the iconic detective masterfully, with a bounty of brilliance and soupcon of arrogance, relishing every moment."

BWW Review: SOME BRIGHTER DISTANCE

"The flashiest of roles goes to Pittsburgh favorite, David Whalen, as Nazi scientist par excellence, Wernher Von Braun. Whalen, last seen in A Servant to Two Masters at Pittsburgh Public, gives Braun an intelligent yet cocky charm, portraying both the wisdom and charisma the aeronautics genius was reputed to possess in America and Nazi Germany alike."

Speak American - City Paper

"the acting honors go to David Whalen, so successful elsewhere as a romantic lead, but here against type as the despised "company man" who seems powerful, yet proves hollow."

Shakespeare in Love - DC Metro

"A stand-out performance by David Whalen as the egotistical actor and contemporary celebrity, Edward “Ned” Alleyn."

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Pittsburgh favorite David

The Christians- Pittsburgh City Paper

"Pittsburgh favorite David Whalen is riveting as Pastor Paul, the would-be theological radical who says that suffering is the distance between people, only to learn that greater proximity is no barrel of monkeys either."

is riveting as Pastor Paul, the would-be theological radical who says that suffering is the distance between people, only to learn that greater proximity is no barrel of monkeys either.