Daniel Guyton



Teaching Experience:



This page features a description of each of the teaching positions held by Daniel Guyton throughout his career. Below the descriptions are several images related to his teaching career. Below that are testimonials from students and observers of his classes.



  • Adjunct Theatre Professor for Georgia State University. Teaching “Intro to Theatre”, “Theatre Appreciation”, and “Theatre Practicum” classes, and directed three school plays: A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tartuffe, and The Laramie Project. Volunteered for the Dunwoody Rotary Club Scholarship Selection Committee. Volunteered to host two events for Japan Week. Decatur, GA 2015-present.
  • Adjunct Professor of English and Theatre for Georgia Military College. Teaching “Theatre Appreciation”, “LSS Reading II”, “LSS English I”, “LSS English II”, "Intro to Acting" and “College Success” classes. Member of the Faculty Advisory Council. "Adjunct Professor of the Year, 2017-18". Fayetteville, GA, 2017-present.
  • Director for Life on Campus. I travel to colleges around the country, and teach college Orientation Advisers how to put on a play which introduces incoming freshmen to the potential pitfalls and joys of college life. Involves directing the play, and teaching non-actors about the basics of acting. Various, 2011-present.
  • Standardized Patient for Emory University. I act as a sick patient for the benefit of Emory medical students. I help them improve their bedside manner, take patient medical history, take vital measurements, and help them learn how to diagnose a patient in a controlled simulation. Decatur, GA, 2014-present.
  • Vice-Chair of the Fayette County Public Arts Committee. We work with the government of Fayette County, GA to bring arts of all disciplines to the community. Fayetteville, GA, 2018-present.
  • Chair of the Professional Division for Georgia Theatre Conference. We help bring together the annual GTC Conference, to honor theatre artists throughout the entire state of Georgia. Full Fellow in the GTC G.R.E.A.T. Fellows program. 2017-present.
  • Director of Community Theatre and Drama for Town Square Playhouse in Fayetteville, GA. I direct many of the stage plays, including Spider's Web and The Odd Couple, and help curate the season. 2019-present.
  • Moderator for Georgia Thespian Conference Playworks Awards Ceremony. High school playwrights from the state of Georgia compete to win a full production of their play at the following year’s Thespian Conference. My job is to facilitate the question and answer process after the production, so the playwright can improve their play based on audience response. Columbus, GA, 2014-present.
  • Workshop Presenter for Georgia Thespian Conference. High school students from the state of Georgia compete for various prizes at the annual Thespian Conference. My job is to lead a workshop on playwriting as one of numerous exercises the students can do throughout the festival. Columbus, GA, 2017-present.
  • Writing Development Coordinator for Merely Players Presents. In charge of script selection and scriptwriting based events for a local theatre group. Doraville, GA, 2018-present.
  • Workshop Presenter for Merely Players Presents. Have taught three distinct workshops on Marketing Your Plays, How to Finish Your Play, Directing for Zoom, and Dramatic Structure. Doraville, GA, 2020-present.
  • Guest Lecturer on Playwriting at various schools, including Northview High School, Savannah College of Art & Design, Newnan High School, Arkansas State University, South Forsyth Middle School, Atlanta Girl Scouts, and more. 2003-present.
  • Substitute Teacher for Legacy Theatre. I help teach acting classes for youth whenever the main instructor is not available. Tyrone, GA. 2018-present.
  • Education Coordinator for Onion Man Productions. In charge of setting up and advertising theatre-related classes, such as playwriting and improvisation classes. Chamblee, GA, 2017-2018.
  • ESL Teacher for 51Talk. An internet-based company that connects native English speakers with Chinese students in Beijing, so they can learn fluent English. I worked with children and adults. 2016-2018.
  • Playwright for the Alliance Theatre’s Junior Players Program. I was commissioned seven seasons in a row to write plays for children, ages 6 to 11. I wrote The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, Kim Arthur and the Nerds of the Round Table, An Alien in Elementary School, An Elf in Elementary School and The Mean Old Elephant. Atlanta, GA, 2015-2018.
  • Acting Teacher for ActNet Entertainment Studios. I taught acting lessons to children and adults for a small entertainment company. I taught small classes of 2 to 10 students at a time, on an as-needed basis, with lessons on audition work, scene study work, improvisational work, and auditioning for the camera. Atlanta, GA, 2015-2017.
  • Member of Working Title Playwrights. I assisted adult playwrights in fine-tuning and crafting their plays, through one-on-one dramaturgy, group moderation, and fund-raising for various group activities, including the Ethel Woolson Lab. I sat on the Board of Directors for this organization from 2015-17. I was also a Mentor for the WTP New Voices Mentorship Program. Decatur, GA, 2012-2018.
  • Adjudicator for Georgia High School Association One Act Play Championship Festival. I was an adjudicator for the competition, and helped nominate the Best Actor and Actress for the festival. Newnan, GA. 2016.
  • Program Director for the Atlanta 24-Hour Play Festival. I helped bring 16 playwrights, 8 directors, 30 actors, and a handful of interns together to present 8 never-before-seen 10-minute plays in one single evening. I assisted the playwrights in crafting their plays, and in making the show run smoothly for the audience. Decatur, GA, 2015-17.
  • Director for Northview High School’s Summer Production of Looking for Laurie in All the Wrong Places by Ashley Harzog. Johns Creek, GA, 2009.
  • Operations Specialist for Junior National Young Leaders Conference (Jr. NYLC) Assisted leading junior high school students in their quest to become better leaders. Managed scheduling, bus routes, problem solving, handling of medical situations, airport arrival and departure of approx 300 students, and more, 2007.
  • Faculty Adviser for National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF) Assisted leading high school students in their quest to become better leaders. We explored leadership opportunities within their careers of choice. My job was to facilitate discussions among scholars, introduce them to core curricula materials, brief, debrief, and chaperone as we attended workshops, seminars and shadowing opportunities. Topics covered included Medicine, Nursing, Law, and Technology, 2004-6.
  • Faculty Adviser for National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC), similar to above, but more geared towards leadership within the US government. My job was similar to above, minus the shadowing opportunities. Washington DC, 2005.
  • Acting Teacher for That’s Entertainment!. Small entertainment company hired me to teach acting and improv lessons to community members. Taught small classes, 1 day a week, on topics such as listening-and-responding, proper breathing techniques, warm-ups and character development. Centereach, NY, 2006.
  • Teaching Assistant for Department of Drama, University of Georgia. Full assistantship to UGA included teaching assignment for the introductory Drama course. Professors worked for: Dr. Farley Richmond, Dr. David Saltz, Prof. B. Don Massey, and Prof. Shannon Rood. Taught introductory principles of acting, directing, design and playwriting to freshman drama students and non-majors alike. I delivered lectures, led workshop discussions, graded papers and quizzes, organized spreadsheets, and used Powerpoint, Excel, and Word. Athens GA, 2001-4.
  • After-School Drama Coordinator for Jefferson City High School. Ran the after-school program and taught students crucial elements of theater and performance. Also assisted in directing Comin’ Round the Mountain, a one-act play for competition. Jefferson GA, 2003.
  • Learning Specialist for Partners in Achievement, a private group geared towards developing cognitive and processing abilities in children and adults. Focus is on PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement), a program designed by behavioral psychologists to strengthen learning capabilities of children with Dyslexia, ADD, and assorted learning disabilities. I worked one on one with students (primarily middle-school age), and facilitated exercises that would benefit each child the most. Athens GA, 2003-4.
  • Student Trainer for Youth Actor’s Conference (YAC). Oconee County High School offers summer programs for students involved in acting. I assisted Broadway actor Calvin Smith in instructing students in both musical and non-musical performance styles. Oconee GA, 2002.
  • Theatre Merit Badge Counselor for The Boy Scouts of America. Helped aspiring Eagle Scouts obtain Theatre merit badge by judging, coaching, and assisting them in completing the necessary requirements. Farmingville NY, 2000.
  • Personal Acting Tutor (various). Worked one-on-one with acting students (of all ages) in helping them find their focus and their voice on stage. Critiqued, directed, and encouraged different performance styles, including Stanislavski and Meisner.




Testimonials:



INTRO TO THEATRE (COLLEGE):

  • "I took a hybrid theatre class taught by Professor Guyton, and he made sitting through a 10am-3pm class fly by! Interesting lectures, group activities, and we even got to see a play for free as part of our writing assignment! He's a very professional and organized professor. Would highly recommend!"
  • "I had Mr. Guyton for theatre 1101. He teaches from slides, but he always elaborates very well on the topic. The material on tests and quizzes come straight from the slides, which he posts online. He curves all quizzes and tests. There are two 5 page essays due towards the end of the semester. Overall, he's a really solid choice for this class."
  • "First Class I ever had in college and I am grateful I got his. Very helpful and made me ready to learn!"
  • "I took him for Intro to Theater and I enjoyed his class."
  • "I truly LOVED this course! Professor Guyton made sure that we stayed engaged and taught us valuable life skills that we will continue to use throughout our college career and so on!"
  • "I learned a lot about Theater that I never knew or thought of. The material that we covered was good as well as the instructor."
  • "It was the perfect balance and everything we played out helped me learn the material more."
  • "VERY GREAT FEEDBACK! His feedback allowed me to learn from my mistakes and it will continue to help me in the rest of my college career and life!"
  • "I learned more from him teaching in the classes than I did reading and going through the book."
  • "100% YES! I would take it again if I could!"
  • "Love this instructor! He's great!"
  • "This is a great course and instructor!"
  • "This class was fun and I learned a lot. Professor Guyton was a wonderful teacher and made theatre fun for me. I would have never gone to play before this class and he showed me it could be fun."
  • "Professor Guyton was an amazing instructor. His passion for theatre was unmistakable & he ensured that the students felt the amazing energy of theatre he even invited us to see a live play!"
  • "He's amazing, the class is amazing, and theatre is amazing. Thank you, Professor Guyton!"
  • "I have recommended him to another student already."
  • "I enjoyed this class very much. And enjoyed my teacher, he was very helpful and made the class interactive and fun!"
  • "Very good instructor, his class is very organized."
  • "He was the best."
  • "He's communicative, talkative, makes understandable presentations, allows for late assignments, and he even allowed me to make up my midterm after my crash."
  • "The teacher made every class interesting. It was a great class, I loved it!"
  • "I appreciated his enthusiasm that he showed while teaching the class."
  • "Nice and was willing to work with students."
  • "He's cool."
  • "[I enjoyed] his love for theatre."
  • "He is a wonderful teacher."
  • "The instructor was awesome, he's funny and really down to earth. He can connect with students and inspires them at all times. He makes theatre fun. His quizzes and exams were really easy and he broke down the plays we read so we could understand."
  • "He teaches very well and his grading system is excellent."
  • "He understands our difficulties and likes to help us."
  • "Very nice and was very into the subject."
  • "I loved how he made the class fun and actually let us do things, like act out and try new things."
  • "I really enjoyed his style of teaching."
  • "I love how he loves what he's doing."
  • "I enjoyed everything that this instructor [taught] and his teaching skills."
  • "Clear on instructions."
  • "Very kind teacher and made the class entertaining and enjoyable."
  • "He is funny, nice and very straightforward."
  • "He seemed enthusiastic about the material and stuck to the syllabus. Also was a quick grader and tried to make the class interesting."
  • "I like how he has professional experience in the theatre world. I liked how he asked for our opinion on what we learned in class and I enjoyed how what he taught was related to real world theatre."
  • "I like how he made theater more fun. He had a very active learning environment so everyone could participate."
  • "It was very effective learning through the combination of videos AND notes, not just one or the other."
  • "Kept class entertaining and very understanding!"
  • "This instructor was very funny and entertaining!"
  • "He gave me a stronger appreciation for theatre which I'm sure was the objective."
  • "I enjoyed learning about the hard work that really goes into theatre and getting to watch certain plays and musicals. There are a lot of professions to be found in theatre that I didn't know about so learning about the whole process was very interesting."
  • "I enjoyed reading the different plays and being able to act them out in class. I also enjoyed the videos on different plays and how different plays around the world are different from the ones here in the U.S."
  • "I've learned many different characteristics of theatre."
  • "It was very interesting."
  • "Enjoyed learning all of the information and going to the plays."
  • "Nothing [to improve]. He is awesome."
  • "Gave good feedback and criteria on acting skills, tells you ways to improve. Always positive."

HOW TO MARKET YOUR PLAYS Workshop:

  • "Thanks Dan. I really enjoyed the class and I got a lot out of it. I appreciate the preparation work you put into it... I think the time was well spent... I didn't feel like any of the time was wasted once we all got on track with the format. The breakout session and follow-on discussion about the pitch... was the most productive and valuable part. I would be interested in seeing more of this sort of thing." (Raymond Fast)
  • "Thank you Daniel! I enjoyed the workshop and I got a lot out of it!" (Elisa Cornish)
  • "Thank you. The class was awesome!" (Mignon Quillings)
  • "Well structured, knowledge of Instructor, great hand-out attachments, encouraging." (Anonymous)
  • "I liked that I expanded my knowledge and perspective on every topic discussed." (Anonymous)
  • "The content was great and I got a lot out of the group work (coming up with the pitch)." (Anonymous)
  • "Lots of info!" (Anonymous)
  • "Overall outstanding class!" (Anonymous)

​FINISH IT! Workshop:

  • "I truly enjoyed today and found it helpful. Any chance you could do this on a regular basis? I’d be happy to pay more." (Beverly Austin)
  • "Thanks so much Dan! Great basic reminder class with good exercises! I thought you did a great job... I think it's really wonderful how you use all the points of basic dramaturgy to point the playwrights toward their endings. It proves that if they do what they should do (if they are working that way, and most are) then it should all come out in the end in the "right" way. And it should!" (Emma Goldman-Sherman)
  • "I wanted you to know that in spite of the tech glitches (yawn....who hasn’t had those?) the class was really useful for me. I got some great ideas!" (Margie Semilof)
  • "I knew pretty much all of this, but getting it talked about and putting it down in notes was what I was looking for and I got it. It changes the start of one of my plays. Helpful talk from the participants too." (Nick Boretz)
  • "Tech problems aside, I found the workshop to be useful (and said so on Survey Monkey), so thanks for taking the initiative. Always good to have a few more tips for the toolkit when writing - and I appreciated your generally laid-back approach to sharing your expertise." (Lawrence Aronovitch)
  • "Great tips from Dan and interesting observations from fellow playwrights." (Anonymous)
  • "The systematic, well organised information about techniques for ending a play, the Play Structure diagram and the excellent examples Daniel referred to." (Anonymous)
  • "I liked the 51 things in 10 minutes exercise that was participated in the workshop. It allowed me to see different dimensions to my characters that I did not see before." (Anonymous)
  • "The information was excellent. Daniel obviously prepared well for it in a thoughtful organized way. To open the floor to additional comments was a great move... Some terrific ideas!" (Anonymous)
  • "The clear way in which Daniel was able to articulate how all the basic rules of dramaturgy work toward helping a writer complete a play." (Anonymous)
  • "Good information about fundamentals for those of us without an MFA." (Anonymous)
  • "[I enjoyed] the organized, yet free, exchange or ideas and techniques." (Anonymous)

DIRECTING FOR ZOOM Workshop:

  • "The presentation was excellent and [I] was excited to see how a show presents itself during these dark days of this pandemic. There still are so many technical questions (same as if directing for the live stage) that I have, but this course help showcase what is possible and great tips for making sure the performance is successful... The information presented helped us learn about setting up the invitation link to ticket holders and audience. The presentation was easy to follow and gave great tips about live theatre and Zoom." (Anonymous)
  • "Pace was good for novice users. Questions were answered as we went along, not left for the end." (Anonymous)​
  • "Dan's approachability and patience - clear power point information given." (Anonymous)
  • "Lots of fresh ideas." (Anonymous)
  • "I think the class could have gone longer by about 30 minutes to fit in all the great info you provided." (Anonymous)

MERELY WRITERS:​

  • "I just want to commend Dan for the amazing job he has done with this group and all he has done to support Merely Players Presents. He has taught, led, facilitated, organized, promoted, communicated, and countless other tasks to keep our writer's group and theatre relevant and active! Thank you Dan!" (Joanie McElroy, Merely Players Presents, 2020)




Daniel Guyton