LBJ in All The Way
at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“A big man, Dykstra dominates the stage physically and also vocally. Determined to accomplish his goals, he coos, he coaxes, he complains (to his wife and closest aide) and he curses; sometimes he roars ferociously at men who are themselves powerful leaders, with principles and tempers of their own.
But Dykstra may be most impressive when he sits in the huge leather easy chair near the back of the stage, sipping a drink and making plans.”
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
King John in King John
at The Folger Shakespeare Theatre
“the heart of King John pulsates with relevance…Dykstra’s John seems the right kind of John for the representation of a realm in disarray. He posits John as unpolished, impatient and prone to rashness”
- The Washington Post
“King John is typically considered the classic villain, but Dykstra gives a nuanced take. Sometimes he's clumsy (the king repeatedly stumbles over his thrown usually just after making a significant statement, and sports a badly tailored suit), but his sometimes-clownish ways belie a merciless killer's instinct.”
-The Washington Blade
Brian O’Reagan in Lucky Guy
with Tom Hanks on Broadway
“Helmer George C. Wolfe has embedded Hanks in a terrific ensemble of veteran character actors and a helluva time is had by all.”
- Variety
“Dykstra segues from realistic rogue to near mythic proportions in his seductively poetic speeches and even in the wary alertness with which he scans the woods. His eyes are as eloquent as his words, radiating feral ferocity when threatened or seductive magnetism toward his long-ago fed-up ex. And when he looks seriously into the eyes of his son or the wayward Phaedra, you can almost believe Johnny's claim that the village's troubled teens may be safer with him than in their own homes.”
- San Francisco Chronicle
Rooster Byron in Jerusalem
at San Francisco Playhouse
Erik Blake in The Humans
at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“He tries to maintain his composure. But we see the cracks. He’s terrified when the lights go out, staggering around in the dark. He presses a cold can of beer to his forehead to steady himself. But he also takes his mother’s hand and speaks to her gently. He enjoys the meal. He strives to show his daughters the strong, reliable man who raised them.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Torvold in Doll’s House, Part 2
at Sacramento Theatre Company
“Her husband Torvald (Brian Dykstra) enters and stares a bit uncomfortably at this interloper in his household, whom he doesn’t even recognize for a while. The contrasts between the two could not be more evident. Dykstra is hesitant, often silent, and periodically awkward in speech and physical movement.”
-Sacramento Bee
Chef Harry
in the world premiere of Seared by Theresa Rebeck
directed by Margarett Perry at San Francisco Playhouse
“Rebeck wrote the role of Harry for Dykstra— and Dykstra embodies the part with the kind of fullness that makes Harry seem like someone you already know. His Harry isn’t just stubborn and imperturbable; he savors those qualities in himself, glorying in how they rankle everyone else.”
-San Francisco Chronicle
Joe Mancewicz in Cleo at The Alley Theatre
“Brian Dykstra as the put-upon director Joe Mankiewicz, plays the part with a world-on-his-shoulders manner that suits perfectly.”
— Broadway World
Mark Rothko in RED
at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park & Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“Dykstra's impassioned performance delivers a man who, at the height of his powers, understands that only one thing comes after heights. From the opening moments, when he takes the audience in his long, deep gaze, we realize he sees what we can't…[His] performance reveals a man as troubling as his paintings, subtly packed with deep shadows and almost-hidden sparks of light.”
Kevin Klein Award Nominee
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Though his words are well crafted and his thinking clear, it almost doesn't matter what he's saying. The sheer sound of his voice as it rises and falls offers its own visceral reward. Dykstra's work provides the startling immediacy that makes live performance feel so alive."
Mr. Cutter in Clean Alternatives
by Brian Dykstra directed by Margarett Perry
at 59E59 Theatres, NYC
— Variety
Pete Rose
in world premiere of Banned from Baseball by Patricia O’Hara
at The Human Race Theatre Company