Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Guyton.
Hi Daniel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started out writing poetry and short stories in elementary school. I suffered from hearing loss as a child, so verbal communication was not always my strong suit. Instead, I became prolific in written communication. I loved reading, writing, and drawing comic strips. I grew up in a family with a lot of witty people who were great at telling stories, and I, too, developed this talent pretty early on. Some of my early comic strips and poems were about my schoolteachers, and many of them were quite funny. My classmates in junior high really seemed to enjoy reading them. While I was never very popular in school, many of my classmates started talking to me and seeking me out because of those comic strips, so I like to call that my “first brush with fame.”
As I got older, I became adept at reading lips, and verbal communication became easier for me, but I was still relatively shy. In high school, I won a poetry-writing contest and was invited to perform two of my poems out loud in front of the whole school. I was terrified, but I received some great advice from a teacher. She said, “These poems are really funny, but if you laugh while telling them, the audience won’t laugh as hard. Instead, I strongly encourage you to read them as seriously as you can without laughing and then see how the audience responds.” That teacher was right. I read them as seriously as possible, and the audience roared with laughter. The more serious I was, the louder their laughs. I had made people laugh from my writing before, but never from my performance. That was electric! I became addicted, and I wanted to make people laugh all the time, forever and ever. I have truly been chasing that high ever since.
I still didn’t feel extremely confident in my voice or verbal communication, but that poetry reading inspired me to take an acting class in high school. I greatly enjoyed that class and intentionally sought out comedic roles and monologues. I was a big fan of Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler at the time, and I leaned heavily into the over-the-top antics that were evident in their early works. When I went to college, my first goal was to become a better writer, but I soon began taking theatre classes in college and eventually decided on a dual major of English and Theatre. My comedic leanings received mixed results in college. My peers seemed to enjoy my comedy, but the faculty was less enthusiastic. In fairness, Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey were quite popular among people in my age group, but less so with folks in my professors’ generation.
Still, as I took more and more classes, I became stronger in my acting – both comedically and dramatically. I was able to find nuance and comfort in less over-the-top roles. Additionally, I decided to combine my love of acting with my love of writing, and I attempted to write my first stage play during my sophomore year in college. It was well-received by my peers, but again, not so much by my professors. In fact, one professor literally said, “Don’t quit your day job” after reading my first script. Funny enough, that play ended up getting produced internationally and in Manhattan a few years later. I made sure to send that particular professor a copy of each review and playbill with the caption: “Day job? What day job?” As a wise man once wrote: “Success is the best revenge.”
After college, I pursued my Master’s Degree in Dramatic Writing, where I honed my craft even further – writing several award-winning scripts and acting in my first lead role – as a dramatic character, no less! By the time my graduate career had ended, I felt very confident in tackling the world of playwriting. Eventually, I would go on to write over 100 scripts and be produced over 700 times around the world. I have won dozens of awards and have been published over 40 times. I’ve even started my own theatre company called Atlanta Dramatists, where I help other writers hone their craft as well. In addition to all of that, I am a teacher of Theatre and English at Georgia Military College, where I am the Department Chair. I still find myself chasing that high from that audience in high school, but I also feel a tremendous sense of pride in all that I’ve accomplished since then.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would not say it’s been a smooth road. Art, in general, is a finicky mistress. Audiences will love you one minute and hate you the next. The worst, of course, is indifference. Somehow, I can handle being hated much more easily than I can handle being ignored. As they say in “The Business”: “No publicity is bad publicity.” In addition, there are unkind and disingenuous people in all walks of life – and the world of theatre and film is no different. I’ve had theatres produce my work without paying or without even contacting me to let me know. I’ve had producers change my words without telling me. I’ve had producers make fun of my hearing loss. I’ve witnessed directors make inappropriate sexual advances towards myself or my castmates. I’ve even spoken up about those abuses and have been fired and blacklisted from certain theatres for doing so. It’s an ugly world at times. But it’s also a beautiful world at other times. The most wonderful thing about being an artist is that I get to communicate my ideas to an audience in a way that hopefully helps them to see the universe in a different – preferably more enlightened – way.
The famous composer Robert Schumann once said, “To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts – such is the duty of the artist.” I take this charge seriously. I consider it my job to send light into other people’s hearts. That “light” could mean several things: It could mean that my job is to make people laugh when things are otherwise very bleak. But it could also mean that my job is to shine knowledge where there is otherwise ignorance. Both are worthy goals for any artist; and, as Schumann implies, these are not just goals but a duty and a command from on high. Another quote I love is by the famous acting instructor Stella Adler: “Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.” If one looks at the news for any length of time, it’s easy to become disheartened. War, death, oppression – these things occur in every epoch, somewhere in the world. When it happens close to home, it’s especially painful. However, the very existence of art can help us make sense of the tragedy and remind us that there is still hope and joy and even beauty in the world – despite the agony and brutality that continues to threaten us all. My hope is that my artwork can help to make the world a brighter place – at least for a short time. For as long as I’m able to shine that light into even one person’s heart, then I will consider myself a success.
As you know, we’re big fans of Atlanta Dramatists. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Atlanta Dramatists was founded in 2023 as a writing development organization for playwrights, screenwriters, and other creative writers. We are based in Atlanta, Georgia, but we have writers from around the globe, thanks to Zoom and other technological innovations. We typically schedule two readings a month – one evening devoted to a single writer (either a full-length or a collection of shorts), and one evening of short pieces by up to 6 writers. We also do workshops, special events, collaborations with other art groups, and eventually even full productions. We can meet on Zoom or live in the Atlanta region, depending on writer preference.
I officially started Atlanta Dramatists in September 2023, although it had originally begun in 2018 under a different name and connected to another theatre organization. However, that organization chose to hire a man in 2022 who had previously made inappropriate physical contact with my wife. When we asked around, we discovered that the same man had been inappropriate with dozens of people and not just my wife. When I spoke to that theatre about this man’s repeated behavior, they chose to fire me and continue working with him. In my firing letter, that theatre instructed me to take my writing group elsewhere. So, I did just that. I officially incorporated Atlanta Dramatists in January 2024 and established a board of directors around the same time. We then filed for non-profit status and received our 510(c)(3) in February 2025. Today, we boast 9 board members, over 60 official members, and over 800 followers on our social media and mailing accounts. In part because of our origin story, Atlanta Dramatists is extremely focused on safety and representation, with our mission statement being: “to cultivate a dynamic environment for new play development, where creativity flourishes, important questions are asked, and diverse voices are celebrated.”
We have a zero-tolerance policy towards abusers and harassers, and we actively seek to promote the voices of those who may not have a voice anywhere else. Earlier this year, we staged our first “Diversity Festival” which included a series of workshops that helped playwrights tell the stories of various diverse groups, including folks with disabilities, along with those of different religious, ethnic, gender, sexual, and even age-related categories. Once the series of workshops was completed, we then hosted two nights of staged readings all focused on these various forms of diversity. In addition, we have partnered with the Atlanta Jewish Artists, the Breman Cultural Ceneter, Senior University of Greater Atlanta (SUGA), and the United Unitarian Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA), with potential collaborations with other groups in discussion. For being just over a year and a half old, I feel like our organization is doing rather well, and we are excited for the many events that we’re planning for the years ahead.
What’s next?
We are planning to do another Diversity Festival next year, as well as more collaborations with other groups. In addition, we have several readings planned (at least two every month) plus a handful of special events. We have workshops and other ideas in mind as well. For this summer, we are regrouping, but we plan to start off strong in the Fall with some new projects. Please check https://atlantadramatists.org/ to stay informed!
Pricing:
- $20 Membership Fee (includes readings, discounts, and more)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://atlantadramatists.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlantadramatists/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlantadramatists
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-guyton-34277/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AtlantaDramatists
- Other: https://danguyton.com/
