Daniel Guyton



    ATLANTA DRAMATISTS



    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 can meet on Zoom or live in the Atlanta region, depending on writer preference. For more information, please sign up for our mailing list below!


    Mission Statement (Full): We are dedicated to fostering a vibrant community of artists and audiences in Atlanta and beyond. Our mission is to cultivate a dynamic environment for new play development, where creativity flourishes, important questions are asked, and diverse voices are celebrated. We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space, free from harassment and bullying, where all individuals can express themselves freely and collaborate without fear. Through our work, we strive to uplift marginalized and multi-generational voices and to promote meaningful dialogue that reflects the rich tapestry of our society. Together, we aspire to make a positive impact on our community and beyond through the transformative power of theatre.


    Mission Statement (Abbreviated): Our mission is to cultivate a dynamic environment for new play development, where creativity flourishes, important questions are asked, and diverse voices are celebrated.



    Testimonials:



    ATLANTA DRAMATISTS:


    "I just want to thank you again for last night! I didn't expect such full and robust feedback. Everyone seems so considerate, engaged, and interested in new work and improving it. I hope to attend again in the future. Thanks for allowing me to participate and for offering this opportunity in the first place!" (Jennifer Schaupp, 2023).


    "Thank you so much for including my piece. I loved hearing everyone's works and the incredible actors who brought them to life. I'm excited to tackle revisions with your excellent observations in mind" (Donna Latham, 2023).


    "Last year, I accomplished a big goal: I wrote a full-length play! And now, I'm sooooo excited and grateful that I will get to experience a read of it, thanks to Atlanta Dramatists. I always make it a point to support the arts however I can. Now, I feel super supported as an artist" (Tanya M. Blackwell, 2024).


    "Thank you so much, it was great to hear some awesome writing, and the actors are amazing! Hearing the first scene from mine helped me so much. Going to edit now!" (Paige Steadman Ross, 2023).


    "I've already made changes to my piece given some good notes. I appreciate it so much" (Marj O'Neill Butler, 2024).


    "Thank you... actors for a great reading--I laughed, not at my own jokes, but at how you performed them! And the feedback was so helpful. When listening, I didn't hear the clunks, but now I understand them. A better play will result" (Judith Pratt, 2024).


    "That was an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for bringing me on board!" (Emma St. Kathryn, 2024).


    "Thanks for including me. I had a good time. Some really intriguing new works!" (Kirstin Popper, 2024).


    "That was fun. Thank you so much for letting me be involved, Daniel, even though I’m in another state. I really enjoy participating in these kinds of readings" (Adara Alston, 2024).


    "Daniel, that was great! I loved the actors and the fabulous hats--and what a lovely group SUGA is. Thanks again for including my work" (Donna Latham, 2024).


    "I’ve only just discovered Atlanta Dramatists, and I’m so glad to find that this exists. I really look forward to attending future readings to see other playwrights’ work! Thank you so much for hosting these... P.S. Just got off the phone with my parents, who aren’t quite theatre people but absolutely loved attending the reading and were so, so excited to tell me everything they could remember about it. They so enjoyed it. Thank you!" (Hope Kay, 2024).


    "Thank you for allowing me to participate in SUGA, both as an actress and a playwright. It was absolutely wonderful and thank you for the multicultural experience! I'm sure that the SUGA audience has been enriched. Thank you for all that you do" (Linda Green, 2024).


    "Thank you again! The savor of that beautiful evening lingers... It inspires me to do more" (Brenda Shoshanna, 2024).


    "Thanks again for having me last night, Dan! You're a great facilitator, and I admire what you've put together with this group. It was a joy to act in the readings, and to have the opportunity to share feedback! I found the whole evening really energizing" (Cait Cortelyou, 2024).


    "Thank you for the wonderful reading last night! Everyone made so many interesting choices, and hereafter I'll be hearing your voices in my head, for better or for worse(!) every time I pick up the script... And thank you Dan for Atlanta Dramatists and its monthly reading series, it's a really great program and it's making an impact on Atlanta's art and theater scene" (Nathan Jerpe, 2024).


    "Just wanted to say thanks so much for having me and [my play] Merely Players at last night's reading session! It was a terrific crew with a great mix of perspectives, and the actors absolutely crushed all of the pieces. Appreciate you pulling everything together, and look forward to the next event!" (Danielle E. Moore, 2024).


    "I wanted to thank you for last night. I thought the comments were all excellent and I took a lot of it to heart... I really appreciate being included in your program. Your readers are good and the comments are always succinct" (Marj O'Neill-Butler, 2024).


    "Thanks so much, everyone, for your brilliant acting it was riveting! Thanks to Dan [Brown] for moderating. I appreciate everyone's insightful comments and questions, and I'm grateful for your time and talents in bringing this piece to life" (Donna Latham, 2024).


    " Thanks so much to all of you for last night! You were wonderful, and the whole experience was so amazing! I am still floating" (Wendy Simonds, 2024).


    " Please extend my thanks to [the actors] for reading last night. They were all making great acting choices -- really delightful, even when they caught me by surprise. The feedback was terrific and it's always better to hear that people want more than less" (Ian Thal, 2025).


    " I want to thank you so much for giving me such a great opportunity to share my play this Monday, get some very helpful feedback, and connect with such nice and supportive people! I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. I really appreciate all of the work you are doing to help support the careers of new playwrights like me!" (Kate Crabtree, 2025).


    " I appreciate you including my play in the Diversity Festival. I've seen some of the pictures and videos and it looks like it was a fantastic event. Hopefully you make it an annual event. Hope to work with you and the Atlanta Dramatists team again in the future" (Rishi Chowdhary, 2025).


    " I just finished my 3 class with the playwriting workshop. I was not able to take all the classes. These 3 classes were beyond amazing. Please present these again. Even if I had been able to attend all of them, I would still want to take them again. Thank you for all your hard work with Atlanta Dramatists" (Teresa Garmon, 2025).


    "Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to work on the reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the event" (Ray Paolino, 2025).


    "Thank you for giving me the opportunity for my play to be heard. I'm always so grateful for that. I'm glad that the audience seemed to enjoy it!" (Linda Green, 2025).


    "I want to express my deep thanks to you and the team for the reading last night of " Shiva" . It’s always an exciting experience to hear a new play of mine read for the very first time, and of course this one was written in less than a week! Your comments were helpful and encouraging" (Mark Chimsky, 2025). ​


    "I want to express my thanks to you for making the first Chametz-Off a wonderful experience for me. I was very moved by your address to the audience about the importance of storytellers and the dangers that can result from the erasure of stories of marginalized people... It was gratifying to hear your impassioned reminder that we as playwrights must tell the stories of all those who risk being forgotten by history" (Mark Chimsky, 2025).


    "Thank you so much for your kind words and for all the work you put into making Chametz-Off such a meaningful and joyful experience. Your thoughtful guidance through the script process truly elevated the work, and I felt incredibly supported and seen throughout. It was such a privilege to be part of this wildly talented cohort. I’m walking away feeling inspired, energized, and very grateful. Here’s to many more collaborations ahead!" (Danielle Wirsansky, 2025).


    " The night opened with a powerful tribute to storytelling by Daniel Guyton, artistic director of Atlanta Dramatists and an accomplished playwright and screenwriter. In his remarks, Guyton emphasized that stories are the lifeblood of culture. “Without stories,” he said, “our cultures could not be transmitted.” In the face of rising cultural and social tensions, Guyton stressed that it is more urgent than ever to uplift and preserve individual and communal narratives" (Debbie Diamond, Atlanta Jewish Times , 2025).


    " Did I ever tell you what a magnificent job everyone did in the Diversity Festival? It was an honor to be among such seriously sensational plays and playwrights!" (Alison Fradkin, 2025).


    " Thank you, Dan, for such a great reading-- Hope [the writer] continues to work on this play because it's such a great role!" (Lory Cox, 2025).


    " I loved it. It was so exciting seeing the craftsmanship come to life. Great experience" (Gwen Willis, 2025).


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