| Plays & Screenplays by Daniel Guyton |
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FULL LENGTH PLAYS (1+ hrs)
THE DARKER PLACES TRILOGY - A collection of three one-act plays about
William, a troubled teenager, boy, and man. The plays include: ATTIC,
BASEMENT and CRAWLSPACE. See details below (in the One-Act category).
***Saw the premiere tonight - it will stick with me for a long time. Those who know me will
know that I don't praise a piece if I don't like it - I just won't say anything. But I can't say
enough about what the Circle Ensemble has done with Dan's trilogy." (Jerry Jobe, Rosewater
Theatre, 2011)
***The idea behind this arrangement of plays by rooms -- and dark ones at that -- is
provocative and vivid... The basement play is powerful and nasty and I imagine it played
well." (Dr. Stanley Longman, University of Georgia, 2011)
***It's been fascinating, disturbing, upsetting, and funny. In the best possible way... I think it's
very rare to have such dark material treated with humor... It's serio-comic, and that is, I
think, the hardest thing to write well. And Daniel Guyton has definitely done that. I think it
rings the most true, because there's humor in everything." (Kathleen Hogan, Circle Ensemble
Theatre)
***What happens when The Black Swan meets Seinfeld? The world premiere of... Dan
Guyton's THE DARKER PLACES TRILOGY, that's what." (Lisa Mende, The Circle Ensemble
Theatre, 2011)
***THE DARKER PLACES TRILOGY—three plays which center around one man's descent into
madness, all taking place in "the darker places" of his mind and of his home. (Rick Rose,
Flagpole Magazine, 2011)
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
---Scenes were performed on WUGA radio in Athens, GA, 2011
I'M NOT GAY! - 6M,1F. Full-Length (80 min). Gary is a homophobe. The play explores
his prejudices in one of the funniest, most shocking tragedies of all time. Loved
and hated by critics across the globe, this play nearly caused someone to
choke to death on opening night in Iceland. Some say it was from laughter.
Others say it was the bile in the back of her throat. Regardless, you'll never
forget the experience as Gary tries to prove how "not gay" he truly is. Mature
audiences only.
***A brilliant play about all the hypocrisy about homosexualism (sic) and people either loved
it or hated it... just as it should be." (Gudmundur Ingi Thorvaldsson, Theatre Loftkastalinn)
***Artistically flawed... morally repugnant... I'M NOT GAY! [belongs in] a category of its own -
the theatre of the obnoxious." (Grant Tyler Peterson, offoffonline.com, 2005)
***I'M NOT GAY! is a competent play in which prejudices collide like go-kart cars and bounce
off the walls with laughter... I don't know if I'm Not Gay! will serve to lessen or increase
prejudice towards homosexuals, but one thing is for sure - people in the audience were
choking with laughter... The characterisation was unusually good and it is rare to find such
a great cast, in which each and every actor was absolutely brilliant. The language in the
show is foul, but it serves the point. The tolerance of the prudes who see this show will be put
to the test, because the language is basically a dictionary of the anus." (Dagblaðið, 2005)
---Performed at SUNY Albany in New York, 1999
---Performed at The Shandaken Play Fair in New York, 2001
---Performed at The University of Georgia in Athens, GA in 2001
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2001
---Translated into Icelandic as Eg Er Ekki Hommi! in 2004
---Performed at the Loftkastalinn Theatre in Reykjavic, Iceland in 2005
---Performed at TSI/Play-Time in Manhattan, 2005
---Adapted by The Talented Talent Brothers in Manhattan, 2005
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Winner of the "Best Comedy" Award at The Author's Playhouse New Author Festival in 2005
---Performed by Talegate Productions in New York, 2008
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton, 2009
---Published by Lulu.com, 2009
---Published by Production Scripts in 2009
---Produced by Baxter's End Productions as a short film, 2009
---Official Entry of the Lancaster Area Film Festival (LAFF) in Lancaster, PA, 2010
---Official Entry of the Artlightenment Art and Film Festival in Nashville, TN, 2011
---Produced by OTB Productions in London, England, 2011
THE MOTHER OF GOD VISITS HELL - 7M,7F (flexible gender). Full Length (90 min),
Based on a poem described in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky;
and written in rhyming Iambic pentameter. The Virgin Mary travels to hell to
comfort the souls in torment. While there, she condemns her own soul to save
those of all mankind - much to God's dismay. What erupts is a war between
Heaven and Hell, with all of our souls in the balance.
***THE MOTHER OF GOD VISITS HELL by Daniel Guyton... is tightly structured with an
amazing premise... The story captivates you, it has a premise that is delectable to the nth
degree..." (What the Butler Saw theatre website, 2009)
***THE MOTHER OF GOD VISITS HELL has my strongest recommendation. It holds out the
hope that American playwrights will move above realism. What's more, Mr. Guyton's talents
as a poet and a dramatist are stellar, and the script is a model for other dramatists." (Steve
Capra, The Living Theatre in NYC, 2009)
---Performed at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa, FL, 2008
---Performed at the Town & Gown Playhouse in Athens, GA, 2009
---Performed at the Alive Theatre's Cherry Poppin' Play Festival in LA, 2009
---Published in Alive Theatre's Cherry Poppin' Plays 2009, 2009
---Performed at the Living Theatre in Manhattan, NY, 2009
---Published by Lulu.com in 2009
---Published by Production Scripts in 2009
--Performed on WUGA Radio (97.1 fm) as a Radio Drama in Athens, GA, 2012
WHERE'S JULIE? - 5M,4F. Full length (90 min), 15-year old Julie runs away from
home to escape her abusive father, her delusional mother, and her autistic
younger brother, only to find herself "knocked up" by drug dealing boyfriend,
harassed by her selfish older sister, and shunned by her Born-Again Christian
friend. But, when she contemplates abortion, that's when the play gets really
funny. Mature audiences only.
***WHERE'S JULIE?, a play written by Kennedy Center short-play award winner Daniel
Guyton, takes audiences on a journey through the lives and living room of an exceptionally
crazy American family!... If you enjoy the humor of South Park or Family Guy, you are sure to
enjoy Guyton’s dark comedies, of which this play is one of the best." (Kat Reynolds, Savannah
College of Art & Design, 2009)
***I'll never forget seeing WHERE'S JULIE?... The Nintendo plugged into nothingness, the
audience, the involvement of the Stage Crew and their Romeo and Juliet, the Catholic guilt.
It took me back to being a kid in the 80s in a creepy, discomforting, and revelatory way."
(Ryan Wilson, University of Georgia, 2010)
***Expect a good laugh (and maybe a lesson) when the question WHERE'S JULIE? is answered
at the Dancing Goat Theatre... The play centers around Julie, a pregnant teenage runaway,
and her autistic brother and alcoholic father. And while it's funny, Guyton also hopes the
audience will find some poignant moments, as well." (Ann Marie Quill, The John's Creek
Patch, 2012)
***Sure, you could keep it simple. Your local high school is probably performing a nice, safe
musical you could see. Nick at Nite might have an episode of "Friends" you've seen only 499
times. Or you could attend a scathing adult comedy, "WHERE'S JULIE?" by local playwright
Daniel Guyton... C'mon out and think a little!" (Jerry Jobe, The Dancing Goat Theatre, 2012)
***Daniel Guyton's WHERE'S JULIE? is not your standard dramatic fare. It quite literally
explodes the fourth wall, making the running crew an integral part of the onstage action and
extending the playing area into the audience. The comedy is often off-kilter, but it's mixed
with a lot of heart. The play quite simply defies categorization... It's the tie-up at the end of
the show that is its most successful part. The action moves into absurdity, with just enough
chaos to heighten the resolution that follows... The strange, quirky, foul-mouthed,
sacrilegious text produced by Daniel Guyton hits its high point at the end, leaving a nice
aftertaste of raucous comedy as the audience applauds." (www.TheaterReview.com, 2012)
***WHERE'S JULIE? By Daniel Guyton is an interesting play... Throughout the play you see
that the imagined "4th wall" between the audience and the stage is being lowered, and, by
the end, is completely shattered... The actors were a breath of fresh air, and the set was very
nice. The director, Eileen Fulford, did an amazing job putting these actors together and
making them understand their goals." (www.TheatreReview.com, 2012)
***No smoke, [WHERE'S JULIE?] was the best play I've seen in awhile (similar in themes to
[AUGUST] OSAGE [COUNTY]...). If people really pay attention, they're not uncomfortable
because of the language or characters' actions, it's because they RESEMBLE us all, those
situations occur everyday, everywhere. Breaking the fourth wall was an excellent
mechanism to put an exclamation point on that commonality of good, as well as bad... I have
sympathy and see pathos in all of those characters. (Brad Corbin, Dancing Goat Theatre, 2012)
---Winner of the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region II Short Play Award in 2001
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2001
---Published in Best Students One-Acts: Volume 7 in 2002
---Performed at The Town & Gown Playhouse in 2003
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2006
---Performed at Prince Rupert Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada in 2008
---Performed at The Spirit of the Mask Festival in Canada in 2008
---Winner of the Northwest Zone High School Drama Festival Best Production, Best Actress,
Best Supporting Actress, and Best Sound Awards in 2008
---Published by Lulu.com in 2009
---Published by Production Scripts in 2009
---Performed at Belton High School in Belton, MO in 2009
---Performed at the Process Theatre's New Play Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2010
---Performed at the Dancing Goat Theatre in Johns Creek, GA, 2012
ONE-ACT PLAYS (Less than 1 hr)
THE ARTIST - 2M. One-Act (10 min), A young artist struggles against the Industrial
Revolution in this Steampunk-style universe.
---Performed at the Process Theatre's Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2009
ATTIC - 3M,1F. One-Act (35 min), A dark, poetic journey into the mind of a troubled
teenager; it combines poetry, audience interaction, and dark humor in a
unique storytelling environment, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred
Hitchcock. Part One of The Darker Places Trilogy, a series of one-act plays
centering around different rooms in the same person's home.
***This is the most innovative, original play I've ever seen... from a college student." (Gary
Garrison, executive director of the Dramatists Guild, 2004)
---WINNER of the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region IV Short Play Award 2004
---Performed by The Incumbo Theater Company in Manhattan, 2004
---Published by Original Works Publishing in 2005
---Performed at TSI/Play-Time in Manhattan, 2007
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2007
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
---Scenes were performed on WUGA Radio in Athens, GA, 2011
---Presented at the Atlanta Fringe Festival in Atlanta, GA, 2012
BASEMENT - 1M,2F. One-Act (25 min), Part Two of The Darker Places Trilogy, a
series of one-act plays centering around different rooms in the same person's
home. Basement involves two women trapped in a bas... well, you get the idea.
It chronicles their efforts to escape.
***The BASEMENT play is powerful and nasty and I imagine it played well." (Dr. Stanley
Longman, University of Georgia, 2011)
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
BEDFORD'S STY - 3M. One-Act (10 min), A grown man named Bedford refuses to
clean up his bedroom - even when a ghost tells him he has to!
***'BEDFORD'S STY' by Daniel Guyton is a thriller about what happens when Bedford, a
disabled man, and his caregiver... realize the past while cleaning his room. (Cosette Brown,
Third Eye Theatre, 2012)
***Thank you for the privilege to work on Bedford's Sty... At first I was a little leery , but it is
fast becoming a favorite." (Dawn Shipley, Third Eye Theatre, 2012)
---Produced by Third Eye Theatre as part of the Grand Guignol 4 Festival in Portland, OR, 2012
BOYS NIGHT IN - 2M. One-Act (10 min), The power goes out on the hottest night of
the year. As the thermostat rises, so does the tension between these two
roommates.
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
CRAWLSPACE - 1M,1F. One-Act (7 min), Part Three of The Darker Places Trilogy, a
series of one-act plays centering around different rooms in the same person's
home. Crawlspace shows us an early glimpse into that person's life.
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
DAFFODILS - 1M,1F. One-Act (10 min); A young man and his fiance travel to his
childhood home. While there, some very dark secrets emerge to the surface.
---Unproduced
DEATH OF A SNOWMAN - 1M,1F. One-Act (10 min), A snowman and a little girl
discuss the afterlife in this existential Yuletide comedy.
***[Michal] Shelton and Amanda Lynn Meyer team up nicely in DEATH OF A SNOWMAN, a
poignant moment between a girl who has lost her mother and her snowman, who explains the
circle of life in the coolest way possible." (Elizabeth Musgrave, Gotta Go! Newsletter, 2009)
***Best of the bunch is Daniel Guyton’s DEATH OF A SNOWMAN, in which actor Michael
Shelton gives the best performance I’ve seen from him (and I’ve seen some fine ones) as a
snowman discussing life and death with a young girl (Amanda Lynn Meyer)." (Lou Harry,
Indianapolis Business Journal, 2009)
***Nor is [the festival] all fluff. One short play has a little girl charmingly but profoundly
discussing death and the after-life with a compassionate snow man, for example. (DEATH OF
A SNOWMAN, by Daniel Guyton)." (Hope Baugh, Indy Theatre Habit, 2009)
***Stephen [Hunt] gives a freshly poignant interpretation to the older and wiser snowman that
Xmas newcomer Claire Wilcher talks to about immortality... in “DEATH OF A SNOWMAN,” by
Daniel Guyton... I felt as if my face were leaking, I cried so much during this piece, but I just
let the tears fall and wiped them away as needed. I never got around to voting online, but
Guyton’s “DEATH OF A SNOWMAN” is probably my favorite of all of the Phoenix Xmas pieces."
(Hope Baugh, Indy Theatre Habit, 2010)
***What I love about it is that it transcends it's visual gag and becomes a very moving and
poignant piece about a child coping with death and ultimately about our purpose and the
meaning of life. [DEATH OF A SNOWMAN] lifts our show to something beyond sight gags, puns
and songs. That's why it's the second to the last play of the evening. " (Bryan Fonseca, Artistic
Director for The Phoenix Theatre, 2010)
***Daniel Guyton's [DEATH OF A SNOWMAN] presents a little girl (Claire Wilcher) in earnest
dialogue with a huge snowman (Stephen Hunt) about death and the preciousness of life." (Jay
Harvey, IndyStar.com, 2010)
***DEATH OF A SNOWMAN is a bittersweet little interlude between a motherless child and
her come-to-life snowman. The theme is the fragility of life and the pain of loss... The play
[features] the wonderful work of Indigo Colbert as Charlotte. So convincing is her
performance as the sad, wistful child I cannot begin to guess at Colbert's actual age. Brava!"
(John Quinn, Encore Michigan, 2011)
***The title says it all in DEATH OF A SNOWMAN (by Daniel Guyton; director Jackie Strez), in
which young Charlotte (Indigo Colbert) considers the mortality of the snowman she created
(Aaron Timlin), in a ponderous but ultimately touching scene. The play manages to stretch
beyond its exceptional and hilarious costuming; Colbert’s little girl is contemplative without
being precocious, and scene partner Timlin uses a vocal affectation that provides hilarity
without hijacking the connection." (Carolyn Hayes, The Rogue Critic, 2011)
---Produced by the Phoenix Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 4 Festival in Indianapolis, IN, 2009
---Recipient of the Gotta Go! Newsletter's "Favorite of the Evening" award in 2009
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2009
---Produced by Canberra Girls Grammar School in ACT, Australia, 2010
---Produced by Elkins High School in Missouri City, TX, 2010
---Produced by the Phoenix Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 5 Festival in Indianapolis, IN, 2010
---Produced at the Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, OH, 2010
---Produced by the Barley Sheaf Players in Lionville, PA, 2011
---Produced at the BoxFest Detroit 2011 Festival in Detroit, MI, 2011
---Produced by the Harbor Ridge Middle School in Gig Harbor, WA, 2011
---Produced by the American River College of Sacramento, CA, 2011
---Produced by Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake, VA , 2011
---Produced by the Dancing Goat Theatre in John's Creek, GA, 2011
DON WANNABE -1M,1F. One-Act (10 min); A handsome Hollywood player actually
wants to be sincere with women, but he just can't seem to do it. His inner
monologue keeps taking over...
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2002
A FAREWELL TO DR. WADDEL - 1M, One-Act (15 min) - Co-written with Evelyn Reece - Dr.
Moses Waddel, fifth president of the University of Georgia, hands over the keys
to the sixth president, Dr. Alonzo Church, in this biographical play - set in the
actual home both men resided in during the early part of the 19th century.
Adapted from a play by Thomas Horton, and written exclusively for the Church-
Waddel-Brumby House in Athens, GA.
***The tour starts at the Church-Waddel-Brumby house with A FAREWELL TO DR. WADDEL, a
vignette Daniel Guyton wrote while collaborating with [Evelyn] Reece. The play is adapted in
part from Thomas Horton’s work, Log Cabin Learning on the Carolina Frontier. It’s a story
that chronicles a changing of the guard between two early University of Georgia presidents
during the early 1800's when the university was struggling. Even in hard times, the students
wanted to give their leader a fitting send-off, Reece said. The boys were rascals during this
period – they’d stay up all night having parties and playing music,” she said. “Some things
haven’t changed that much.”." (Joe VanHoose, Athens Banner-Herald, 2011)
---Produced by the Athens Welcome Center in Athens, GA, 2011
THE FATHER AND THE SON - 2M, various voices. One-Act (10 min), God becomes an
atheist. Hijinks ensue.
---Performed at Theatre! Theatre! in Portland, Oregon in 2007
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
A FRIEND TO ALL THE LITTLE GUYS - 3M,1F. One-Act (40 min); Two mob thugs
pressure a poor schlub into doing their dirty work. Ey, it's freakin' hilarious.
---Adapted into a short film titled "Frankie's Lament" at the University of Georgia, 2002
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2005
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT - 1M,2F. One-Act (12 min), A young man tries to kill
himself in this dark, disturbing comedy, but an accidental murder puts things
into perspective. Mature audiences only.
***In Daniel Guyton's GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT, the blackest of black comedies, the
suicide attempts of the title character (played by Joey Folsom) keep getting interrupted by
the telephone and the doorbell... Guyton's delightfully perverse script is one that you'll
remember." (Lawson Taitte, The Dallas Morning News, 2010)
***Dan Guyton’s GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT opens with an image that shouldn’t be as funny
as it is: a young man (Joey Folsom), pointing a gun into his own mouth. But thanks to Folsom’s
expert delivery and Lisa Anne Haram’s hilarious performance as his all-abiding mother, this
darkest-of-dark-comedies had the audience in stitches." (Will Arbery, D Magazine, 2010)
***Can suicide, serial murder and a potty-mouthed girl scout be funny? Hell yeah, as proven
by Daniel Guyton's tarpit-dark comedy GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT... The beauty lies in the
writing, which is snappy, succinct and original... The opening scene in Georgie is comic
gold, and the closing line... could not be more perfect." (Mark Lowry, Theatre Jones, 2010)
***One of the best entries in the 2010 FIT (Festival)" (Mark Lowry, Theatre Jones, 2011)
***This black comedy... is a tidy, tiny enterprise in delayed gratification, kind of like a
Thurber short story compared to a Faulkner novel. All the language and character and
thematic depth exist in both, just on a different scale... Impeccable timing by a tight, focused
cast ensemble with plenty of textural gravitas and dry comic delivery... This is exactly the
sort of creative endeavor that matches FIT’s mission and maintains a high level of artistic
integrity. Joey Folsom, in a surprising, clean-shaven, buttoned-down turn, helms the play with
signature crisp stage presence and distinctive voice. His lengthy, surreal, tender
conversation with a dead body is an acting high point for the entire Festival. Lisa Anne
Haram creates a bizarre reality, as horrifying as she is delicious to watch. Stephanie Hall
masters the transitional arc [of] the play... with outstanding physical acting; the... play
relies almost entirely on her convincing portrayal. And it works famously. Plan on being
horrified, then amazed, then relieved; and imagine James Thurber. It’s a strong start for
novice director Chad Cline." (Alexandra Bonifield, Critical Rant & Rave, 2010)
***[Stephanie Hall's] physical comedy in this part – where she channels a rag doll – is
hilarious. In a festival well-known for minimalist sets, this one wins the prize for the most
minimalist. Ever. There is almost nothing to distract the viewer – all the attention and focus
is on the three actors." (Carol Anne Gordon, Pegasus News, 2010)
***Just one more day in the life of a suicidal/homicidal maniac and his mother, this double
bill includes Dan Guyton’s GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT, a black comedy about an
underachieving momma’s boy with a vision and the girl scout who stands in his way." (David
Meglino, FIT Festival Press Release, 2010)
***From the short play by Daniel Guyton comes a slice from the worst day of George McCauley
Robertson's life. The recipe for this Black Comedy: manic depressive, suicidal, homicidal
college graduate + a fully loaded revolver + his Momma + a Girl Scout + Thin Mints. At the
heart this film is... a young man who has invested everything of himself in the American
Dream being slapped in the face with the reality that the American Dream is a lie. Hard
work and dedication don't get you much when you are a member of the expendable dwindling
middle class in modern America. GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT tells the tale of how one
college graduate deals with being pushed too far and let down by his society. After
successful runs across the nation on stage, this "delightfully dark", "jaw dropping",
"heartbreaking", "relevant" story is being re-imagined for the screen.. (Joey Folsom,
Emotionalism Films, 2011)
***In GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT, a man is on the precipice of suicide until his mother
shows up and ends things with a bang." (Roxanne MacManus, Willamette Week Online, 2010)
***GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT is a dramedy about a guy who loses his job, and about some of
the bad decisions he's made involving himself, his mother and a girl scout. Not like you’re
thinking, though." (Patricia Sindelar, The Omaha Reader, 2009)
***[Eric] Grant-Leanna... stood out in the evening's first one-act entitled GEORGIE GETS A
FACELIFT, portraying a suicidal schlemiel." (Mark Robinson, Omaha Theater Examiner, 2009)
***The first offering, GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT by Daniel Guyton, gave Liz Mulhern a
chance to shine as an airhead mother pooh-poohing the problems of her suicidal and
psychopathic son." (Warren Francke, The Omaha Reader, 2009)
***Haunting, poetic, beautiful and funny." (Brian Harris, Strawberry One-Act Festival award
winner, 2006)
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2002
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2003
---Finalist in the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region IV 10-Min Play Competition 2003
---Performed by The Incumbo Theater Company in Manhattan, 2004
---Semi-Finalist in The Riant Theatre's Strawberry One-Act Festival in Manhattan, 2005
---Performed on Truth Unvarnished Lacquered Up Shiny (Verizon Public TV) 2007
---Published in Desert Road's One Acts of Note 2008, 2009
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced at the Shelterbelt Theatre's Shelterskelter Festival XIV in Omaha, NE, 2009
---Published by Production Scripts as a Digital Download, 2009
---Produced by Third Eye Theatre as part of the Grand Guignol Festival in Portland, OR, 2010
---Produced by The Pegasus Theatre for the 12th Annual FIT Festival in Dallas, TX, 2010
---Joey Folsom's Georgie listed as Outstanding Male Performance and Great Performance, 2010
---Adapted into a short film by Emotionalism Films and Cine De Gato Loco, 2012
GOT CHANGE FOR A TWO? - 3M,2F. One-Act (45 min) - Co-written with Spencer Temkin.
Two friends get drunk, discuss money, and bad-mouth the opposite sex. Well...
not as much as they bad-mouth each other.
---Performed at SUNY Albany in 1999
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Published by Production Scripts as a Digital Download, 2011
HALF-WIT - 2M,1F. One-Act (1 min), A couple neglect the husband's unstable father
because he is not "socially acceptable."
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
HOW I MET YOUR SANTA - 1F. One-Act (10 min) - Mrs Claus explains how she and
Santa first met, in this one woman monologue.
***Moving without deviation in the direction of Christmas sweetness, spiced with gentle
humor, was Gayle Steigerwald's monologue, 'HOW I MET YOUR SANTA,' by Daniel Guyton."
(Jay Harvey, IndyStar.com, 2011)
***Rocking into the Gotta Go spotlight this week is Gayle Steigerwald in "HOW I MET YOUR
SANTA," the tale of her first meeting with Saint Nick. The delightful tale is all the more
sentimental because of Steigerwald's tender storytelling ability. You will find yourself
believing every word of the future Mrs. Claus' account of the Christmas she encountered the
jolly elf in her childhood home. It is no surprise that this piece earns the Gotta Go "favorite
of the evening" award once I realized afterward that it had been written by Daniel Guyton.
You'll remember Guyton receiving my "favorite of the evening" in 2009 during Phoenix
Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 4: Our Stockings are Stuffed with "Death of a Snowman."
Guyton brings tender, real moments to the stage without slipping down the too-much slope."
(Elizabeth J Musgrave, Gotta Go! Newsletter, 2011)
***The sixth version of the Phoenix Theatre's annual holiday revue is a blend of spoken and
sung comedy, poignancy and insight into the ambivalence that surrounds Christmas
celebrations... Daniel Guyton's "HOW I MET YOUR SANTA" ensures that the sentimental side
is not ignored." (Jay Harvey, IndyStar.com, 2011)
***Oh, how sweet and wonderful your monologue is... I hope you receive TONS of productions
of this sweet and moving piece." (Mary Steelsmith, Playwrights' Binge, 2011)
***HOW I MET YOUR SANTA... Simply amazing!" (Alison Becker, Phoenix Theatre, 2011)
---Produced by the Phoenix Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 6 Festival in Indianapolis, IN, 2011
---Recipient of the Gotta Go! Newsletter's "Favorite of the Evening" award in 2011
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2012
IN THE SHADOW OF A WAR - 2M. One-Act (10 min), A nod to Samuel Beckett, and a
satire of this blasted war. Two roommates await the cannon fire of an
impending army.
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
MACABRE-CADABRA - 2M,1F. One-Act (20 min), A magician with a very dark secret
suddenly gets an offer that he... really should refuse.
---Produced at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR, 2011
---Presented at the Process Theatre's Play Day Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2011
MACBREATH - 5M,5F. One-Act (25 min), a parody of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Set in
corporate America. Highlights include Dunkin', the president of the Donut
company, getting killed by a scalding cup of coffee.
---Published in Dimensions Magazine in 1995
---Performed at Sachem High School in 1995
MID-DAY AT THE GREASY SPOON - 2M. One-Act (10 min), Two friends meet at a
greasy spoon diner, eat lousy soup and talk about love.
---Unproduced
MILO & BARBARA - 1M,1F. One-Act (15 min), Barbara's life is turned upside-down
when her husband suddenly vanishes without a warning. When he returns
four weeks later, they each try to pick up the pieces.
---Finalist in the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region IV 10-min Play Competition 2002
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2002
---Performed at The University of Georgia in Athens, GA 2002
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Performed at Left of Center Theatre in LA in 2008
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced as a Short Film by Baxter's End Productions, 2011
MRS. CLAUS GETS MENOPAUSE - 1M,1F One-Act (10 min) - Santa's wife experiences
some magical "changes" on the most important day of Santa's year!
***Your plays were the best at Christmas Shorts. Enjoyed them with an oversold-out house
today!." (Mark Cole, Onstage Atlanta, 2011)
---Produced at Onstage Atlanta's Merry Little Holiday Shorts Festival in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Produced at ACME Theatre's New Works Winter Festival 2012, in Maynard, MA, 2012
POOR BASTARD - 2M. One-Act (10 min), A homeless man and a businessman trade
places, except the businessman doesn't quite know it yet...
---Unproduced
REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS - 1F,2M One-Act (10 min) - Mrs Claus reveals how she
almost married Arthur Kringle, Santa's rebellious brother.
***I absolutely love this piece... I truly think REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS is going to be one of
the strongest and most memorable shows of the evening." (Sylvia Veith, Onstage Atlanta, 2011)
---Produced at Onstage Atlanta's Merry Little Holiday Shorts Festival in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2012
ROMANCE IS DEAD - 1M. Monologue (20 min). "I sleep with dead people..." Dr.
Edward Bainsbridge has been arrested for a terrible crime - interfering with a
dead body. Four dead bodies, to be exact. Come hear his terrible confession,
which will shock you, repulse you, and might even make you laugh...
***Extremely well-written and deplorably funny." (Geri Albrecht, Heuer Publishing, 2007)
***Your show is wonderful. I feel that it is one of the strongest pieces in the [Grand Guignol
Festival]." (Ravyn Jazper-Hawke, Third Eye Theatre, 2011)
***Thanks for writing such an awesome piece. I've had a great time with this role and I
haven't been this excited about an opening night in a long time. It's stuff like this that made
me fall in love with acting in the first place." (Charlie Pierce, Third Eye Theatre, 2011)
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2004
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced by Third Eye Theatre as part of the Grand Guignol Festival in Portland, OR, 2011
---Performed at Collaborations Atlanta in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Performed at the Emerging Artist Theatre's One Man Talking Festival, 2012
ROSIE, THE RETIRED ROCKETTE - 4F, One-Act (10 min) - 86-year old Rosie is in a
nursing home, but she still thinks she's back in her fabulous Rockette days.
***I love it. It's just a lovely piece of black humor, yet heartwarming, and real. It's edgy, and
sweet and funny... and a bit warped." (CJ Ehrlich, Playwrights' Binge, 2011)
---Presented at the Process Theatre's Play Day Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Produced by n.u.f.a.n. ensemble's 7 Plays in 7 Holi-days festival in Chicago, IL, 2011
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2012
SPAT! - 2M,1F. One-Act (10 min), A man and wife have a horrible argument over the
wife's affair with an illegal immigrant.
---Performed at Saturday Night Lites in LA in 2005
---Published in Quick & Painless: Volume I in 2005
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Adapted by The Talented Talent Brothers in New York, 2005
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
THE TOOTH FAIRY GETS AIDS - 2M, One-Act (10 min) - The Tooth Fairy gets some
really bad news...
---Unproduced
YOU TRIPPIN? - 4M. One-Act (10 min); 4 teenagers plan to shoot up their high
school. Are they for real? Or are they just "trippin?" It's a very dark comedy.
---Performed at SUNY Albany in 2000
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
SCREENPLAYS
FOR WHOM THE (WEDDING) BELL TOLLS -4M,4F. Short (10 min); A young woman is
determined to get married today - even if her fiance can't make it to the
wedding!
---Produced for the Atlanta 48-Hour Film Festival, 2010
THE FOUNTAIN - 2M,1F. Short (10 min); A love triangle between a man, a woman,
and an a**hole.
---Produced as a student film at the University of Georgia, 2002
UTOPIA 69 - Full-Length (2 hrs) - Story by Rachael Lambert. Somewhere betwixt A Brave
New World and Woody Allen's Sleeper rests Utopia 69; a dystopian nightmare
fantasy in which illnesses, wars, and poverty have been erased. In their stead
is moral decay, a lack of love, and a whole lot of one-night stands. If we
eliminate conflict in our lives, can humanity still exist?
---Unproduced
WORKS IN PROGRESS
DECEMBER 24TH - 2M, One-Act (10 min) - 'Twas the night before Christmas, and
two thieves are robbing a house...
---In Progress
DECK THE HALLS WITH MELANCHOLY (OR, THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT) -
3M,1F One-Act (10 min) - An old man loses his wife in the weeks before Christmas
during this somber Iambic Pentameter play.
---In Progress
FLAWS - Equally minimalist and multimedia-heavy exploration into the role of
media on the self-esteems and value perceptions of seven different college
students at an all-American university.
---In Progress
THE GRINCH WHO B****-SLAPPED SANTA CLAUS, AND OTHER CHRISTMAS
CHEER - 2M,1F, Full-Length (90 min) - Grimbaldt the Christmas Pimp spreads
Christmas Cheer (and syphilis) in this twisted, dirty, naughty and hilarious
Christmas play. Mature audiences only.
---In Progress
THE SINS OF REBETHANY CHASTAIN - 1F, One-Act (10 min) - A prison inmate shares
her story about how she got arrested, in this one woman monologue.
---In Progress
URINE TROUBLE NOW - 2M, One-Act (10 min) - A job interview is going well - up until
the inevitable "piss test" that goes horribly awry.
---In Progress
THE WINE CELLAR - Full-Length Screenplay (2 hrs) - A murder mystery.
---In Progress
THE DARKER PLACES TRILOGY - A collection of three one-act plays about
William, a troubled teenager, boy, and man. The plays include: ATTIC,
BASEMENT and CRAWLSPACE. See details below (in the One-Act category).
***Saw the premiere tonight - it will stick with me for a long time. Those who know me will
know that I don't praise a piece if I don't like it - I just won't say anything. But I can't say
enough about what the Circle Ensemble has done with Dan's trilogy." (Jerry Jobe, Rosewater
Theatre, 2011)
***The idea behind this arrangement of plays by rooms -- and dark ones at that -- is
provocative and vivid... The basement play is powerful and nasty and I imagine it played
well." (Dr. Stanley Longman, University of Georgia, 2011)
***It's been fascinating, disturbing, upsetting, and funny. In the best possible way... I think it's
very rare to have such dark material treated with humor... It's serio-comic, and that is, I
think, the hardest thing to write well. And Daniel Guyton has definitely done that. I think it
rings the most true, because there's humor in everything." (Kathleen Hogan, Circle Ensemble
Theatre)
***What happens when The Black Swan meets Seinfeld? The world premiere of... Dan
Guyton's THE DARKER PLACES TRILOGY, that's what." (Lisa Mende, The Circle Ensemble
Theatre, 2011)
***THE DARKER PLACES TRILOGY—three plays which center around one man's descent into
madness, all taking place in "the darker places" of his mind and of his home. (Rick Rose,
Flagpole Magazine, 2011)
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
---Scenes were performed on WUGA radio in Athens, GA, 2011
I'M NOT GAY! - 6M,1F. Full-Length (80 min). Gary is a homophobe. The play explores
his prejudices in one of the funniest, most shocking tragedies of all time. Loved
and hated by critics across the globe, this play nearly caused someone to
choke to death on opening night in Iceland. Some say it was from laughter.
Others say it was the bile in the back of her throat. Regardless, you'll never
forget the experience as Gary tries to prove how "not gay" he truly is. Mature
audiences only.
***A brilliant play about all the hypocrisy about homosexualism (sic) and people either loved
it or hated it... just as it should be." (Gudmundur Ingi Thorvaldsson, Theatre Loftkastalinn)
***Artistically flawed... morally repugnant... I'M NOT GAY! [belongs in] a category of its own -
the theatre of the obnoxious." (Grant Tyler Peterson, offoffonline.com, 2005)
***I'M NOT GAY! is a competent play in which prejudices collide like go-kart cars and bounce
off the walls with laughter... I don't know if I'm Not Gay! will serve to lessen or increase
prejudice towards homosexuals, but one thing is for sure - people in the audience were
choking with laughter... The characterisation was unusually good and it is rare to find such
a great cast, in which each and every actor was absolutely brilliant. The language in the
show is foul, but it serves the point. The tolerance of the prudes who see this show will be put
to the test, because the language is basically a dictionary of the anus." (Dagblaðið, 2005)
---Performed at SUNY Albany in New York, 1999
---Performed at The Shandaken Play Fair in New York, 2001
---Performed at The University of Georgia in Athens, GA in 2001
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2001
---Translated into Icelandic as Eg Er Ekki Hommi! in 2004
---Performed at the Loftkastalinn Theatre in Reykjavic, Iceland in 2005
---Performed at TSI/Play-Time in Manhattan, 2005
---Adapted by The Talented Talent Brothers in Manhattan, 2005
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Winner of the "Best Comedy" Award at The Author's Playhouse New Author Festival in 2005
---Performed by Talegate Productions in New York, 2008
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton, 2009
---Published by Lulu.com, 2009
---Published by Production Scripts in 2009
---Produced by Baxter's End Productions as a short film, 2009
---Official Entry of the Lancaster Area Film Festival (LAFF) in Lancaster, PA, 2010
---Official Entry of the Artlightenment Art and Film Festival in Nashville, TN, 2011
---Produced by OTB Productions in London, England, 2011
THE MOTHER OF GOD VISITS HELL - 7M,7F (flexible gender). Full Length (90 min),
Based on a poem described in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky;
and written in rhyming Iambic pentameter. The Virgin Mary travels to hell to
comfort the souls in torment. While there, she condemns her own soul to save
those of all mankind - much to God's dismay. What erupts is a war between
Heaven and Hell, with all of our souls in the balance.
***THE MOTHER OF GOD VISITS HELL by Daniel Guyton... is tightly structured with an
amazing premise... The story captivates you, it has a premise that is delectable to the nth
degree..." (What the Butler Saw theatre website, 2009)
***THE MOTHER OF GOD VISITS HELL has my strongest recommendation. It holds out the
hope that American playwrights will move above realism. What's more, Mr. Guyton's talents
as a poet and a dramatist are stellar, and the script is a model for other dramatists." (Steve
Capra, The Living Theatre in NYC, 2009)
---Performed at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa, FL, 2008
---Performed at the Town & Gown Playhouse in Athens, GA, 2009
---Performed at the Alive Theatre's Cherry Poppin' Play Festival in LA, 2009
---Published in Alive Theatre's Cherry Poppin' Plays 2009, 2009
---Performed at the Living Theatre in Manhattan, NY, 2009
---Published by Lulu.com in 2009
---Published by Production Scripts in 2009
--Performed on WUGA Radio (97.1 fm) as a Radio Drama in Athens, GA, 2012
WHERE'S JULIE? - 5M,4F. Full length (90 min), 15-year old Julie runs away from
home to escape her abusive father, her delusional mother, and her autistic
younger brother, only to find herself "knocked up" by drug dealing boyfriend,
harassed by her selfish older sister, and shunned by her Born-Again Christian
friend. But, when she contemplates abortion, that's when the play gets really
funny. Mature audiences only.
***WHERE'S JULIE?, a play written by Kennedy Center short-play award winner Daniel
Guyton, takes audiences on a journey through the lives and living room of an exceptionally
crazy American family!... If you enjoy the humor of South Park or Family Guy, you are sure to
enjoy Guyton’s dark comedies, of which this play is one of the best." (Kat Reynolds, Savannah
College of Art & Design, 2009)
***I'll never forget seeing WHERE'S JULIE?... The Nintendo plugged into nothingness, the
audience, the involvement of the Stage Crew and their Romeo and Juliet, the Catholic guilt.
It took me back to being a kid in the 80s in a creepy, discomforting, and revelatory way."
(Ryan Wilson, University of Georgia, 2010)
***Expect a good laugh (and maybe a lesson) when the question WHERE'S JULIE? is answered
at the Dancing Goat Theatre... The play centers around Julie, a pregnant teenage runaway,
and her autistic brother and alcoholic father. And while it's funny, Guyton also hopes the
audience will find some poignant moments, as well." (Ann Marie Quill, The John's Creek
Patch, 2012)
***Sure, you could keep it simple. Your local high school is probably performing a nice, safe
musical you could see. Nick at Nite might have an episode of "Friends" you've seen only 499
times. Or you could attend a scathing adult comedy, "WHERE'S JULIE?" by local playwright
Daniel Guyton... C'mon out and think a little!" (Jerry Jobe, The Dancing Goat Theatre, 2012)
***Daniel Guyton's WHERE'S JULIE? is not your standard dramatic fare. It quite literally
explodes the fourth wall, making the running crew an integral part of the onstage action and
extending the playing area into the audience. The comedy is often off-kilter, but it's mixed
with a lot of heart. The play quite simply defies categorization... It's the tie-up at the end of
the show that is its most successful part. The action moves into absurdity, with just enough
chaos to heighten the resolution that follows... The strange, quirky, foul-mouthed,
sacrilegious text produced by Daniel Guyton hits its high point at the end, leaving a nice
aftertaste of raucous comedy as the audience applauds." (www.TheaterReview.com, 2012)
***WHERE'S JULIE? By Daniel Guyton is an interesting play... Throughout the play you see
that the imagined "4th wall" between the audience and the stage is being lowered, and, by
the end, is completely shattered... The actors were a breath of fresh air, and the set was very
nice. The director, Eileen Fulford, did an amazing job putting these actors together and
making them understand their goals." (www.TheatreReview.com, 2012)
***No smoke, [WHERE'S JULIE?] was the best play I've seen in awhile (similar in themes to
[AUGUST] OSAGE [COUNTY]...). If people really pay attention, they're not uncomfortable
because of the language or characters' actions, it's because they RESEMBLE us all, those
situations occur everyday, everywhere. Breaking the fourth wall was an excellent
mechanism to put an exclamation point on that commonality of good, as well as bad... I have
sympathy and see pathos in all of those characters. (Brad Corbin, Dancing Goat Theatre, 2012)
---Winner of the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region II Short Play Award in 2001
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2001
---Published in Best Students One-Acts: Volume 7 in 2002
---Performed at The Town & Gown Playhouse in 2003
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2006
---Performed at Prince Rupert Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada in 2008
---Performed at The Spirit of the Mask Festival in Canada in 2008
---Winner of the Northwest Zone High School Drama Festival Best Production, Best Actress,
Best Supporting Actress, and Best Sound Awards in 2008
---Published by Lulu.com in 2009
---Published by Production Scripts in 2009
---Performed at Belton High School in Belton, MO in 2009
---Performed at the Process Theatre's New Play Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2010
---Performed at the Dancing Goat Theatre in Johns Creek, GA, 2012
ONE-ACT PLAYS (Less than 1 hr)
THE ARTIST - 2M. One-Act (10 min), A young artist struggles against the Industrial
Revolution in this Steampunk-style universe.
---Performed at the Process Theatre's Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2009
ATTIC - 3M,1F. One-Act (35 min), A dark, poetic journey into the mind of a troubled
teenager; it combines poetry, audience interaction, and dark humor in a
unique storytelling environment, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred
Hitchcock. Part One of The Darker Places Trilogy, a series of one-act plays
centering around different rooms in the same person's home.
***This is the most innovative, original play I've ever seen... from a college student." (Gary
Garrison, executive director of the Dramatists Guild, 2004)
---WINNER of the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region IV Short Play Award 2004
---Performed by The Incumbo Theater Company in Manhattan, 2004
---Published by Original Works Publishing in 2005
---Performed at TSI/Play-Time in Manhattan, 2007
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2007
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
---Scenes were performed on WUGA Radio in Athens, GA, 2011
---Presented at the Atlanta Fringe Festival in Atlanta, GA, 2012
BASEMENT - 1M,2F. One-Act (25 min), Part Two of The Darker Places Trilogy, a
series of one-act plays centering around different rooms in the same person's
home. Basement involves two women trapped in a bas... well, you get the idea.
It chronicles their efforts to escape.
***The BASEMENT play is powerful and nasty and I imagine it played well." (Dr. Stanley
Longman, University of Georgia, 2011)
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
BEDFORD'S STY - 3M. One-Act (10 min), A grown man named Bedford refuses to
clean up his bedroom - even when a ghost tells him he has to!
***'BEDFORD'S STY' by Daniel Guyton is a thriller about what happens when Bedford, a
disabled man, and his caregiver... realize the past while cleaning his room. (Cosette Brown,
Third Eye Theatre, 2012)
***Thank you for the privilege to work on Bedford's Sty... At first I was a little leery , but it is
fast becoming a favorite." (Dawn Shipley, Third Eye Theatre, 2012)
---Produced by Third Eye Theatre as part of the Grand Guignol 4 Festival in Portland, OR, 2012
BOYS NIGHT IN - 2M. One-Act (10 min), The power goes out on the hottest night of
the year. As the thermostat rises, so does the tension between these two
roommates.
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
CRAWLSPACE - 1M,1F. One-Act (7 min), Part Three of The Darker Places Trilogy, a
series of one-act plays centering around different rooms in the same person's
home. Crawlspace shows us an early glimpse into that person's life.
---Produced by the Circle Ensemble Theatre Company in Athens, GA, 2011
DAFFODILS - 1M,1F. One-Act (10 min); A young man and his fiance travel to his
childhood home. While there, some very dark secrets emerge to the surface.
---Unproduced
DEATH OF A SNOWMAN - 1M,1F. One-Act (10 min), A snowman and a little girl
discuss the afterlife in this existential Yuletide comedy.
***[Michal] Shelton and Amanda Lynn Meyer team up nicely in DEATH OF A SNOWMAN, a
poignant moment between a girl who has lost her mother and her snowman, who explains the
circle of life in the coolest way possible." (Elizabeth Musgrave, Gotta Go! Newsletter, 2009)
***Best of the bunch is Daniel Guyton’s DEATH OF A SNOWMAN, in which actor Michael
Shelton gives the best performance I’ve seen from him (and I’ve seen some fine ones) as a
snowman discussing life and death with a young girl (Amanda Lynn Meyer)." (Lou Harry,
Indianapolis Business Journal, 2009)
***Nor is [the festival] all fluff. One short play has a little girl charmingly but profoundly
discussing death and the after-life with a compassionate snow man, for example. (DEATH OF
A SNOWMAN, by Daniel Guyton)." (Hope Baugh, Indy Theatre Habit, 2009)
***Stephen [Hunt] gives a freshly poignant interpretation to the older and wiser snowman that
Xmas newcomer Claire Wilcher talks to about immortality... in “DEATH OF A SNOWMAN,” by
Daniel Guyton... I felt as if my face were leaking, I cried so much during this piece, but I just
let the tears fall and wiped them away as needed. I never got around to voting online, but
Guyton’s “DEATH OF A SNOWMAN” is probably my favorite of all of the Phoenix Xmas pieces."
(Hope Baugh, Indy Theatre Habit, 2010)
***What I love about it is that it transcends it's visual gag and becomes a very moving and
poignant piece about a child coping with death and ultimately about our purpose and the
meaning of life. [DEATH OF A SNOWMAN] lifts our show to something beyond sight gags, puns
and songs. That's why it's the second to the last play of the evening. " (Bryan Fonseca, Artistic
Director for The Phoenix Theatre, 2010)
***Daniel Guyton's [DEATH OF A SNOWMAN] presents a little girl (Claire Wilcher) in earnest
dialogue with a huge snowman (Stephen Hunt) about death and the preciousness of life." (Jay
Harvey, IndyStar.com, 2010)
***DEATH OF A SNOWMAN is a bittersweet little interlude between a motherless child and
her come-to-life snowman. The theme is the fragility of life and the pain of loss... The play
[features] the wonderful work of Indigo Colbert as Charlotte. So convincing is her
performance as the sad, wistful child I cannot begin to guess at Colbert's actual age. Brava!"
(John Quinn, Encore Michigan, 2011)
***The title says it all in DEATH OF A SNOWMAN (by Daniel Guyton; director Jackie Strez), in
which young Charlotte (Indigo Colbert) considers the mortality of the snowman she created
(Aaron Timlin), in a ponderous but ultimately touching scene. The play manages to stretch
beyond its exceptional and hilarious costuming; Colbert’s little girl is contemplative without
being precocious, and scene partner Timlin uses a vocal affectation that provides hilarity
without hijacking the connection." (Carolyn Hayes, The Rogue Critic, 2011)
---Produced by the Phoenix Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 4 Festival in Indianapolis, IN, 2009
---Recipient of the Gotta Go! Newsletter's "Favorite of the Evening" award in 2009
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2009
---Produced by Canberra Girls Grammar School in ACT, Australia, 2010
---Produced by Elkins High School in Missouri City, TX, 2010
---Produced by the Phoenix Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 5 Festival in Indianapolis, IN, 2010
---Produced at the Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, OH, 2010
---Produced by the Barley Sheaf Players in Lionville, PA, 2011
---Produced at the BoxFest Detroit 2011 Festival in Detroit, MI, 2011
---Produced by the Harbor Ridge Middle School in Gig Harbor, WA, 2011
---Produced by the American River College of Sacramento, CA, 2011
---Produced by Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake, VA , 2011
---Produced by the Dancing Goat Theatre in John's Creek, GA, 2011
DON WANNABE -1M,1F. One-Act (10 min); A handsome Hollywood player actually
wants to be sincere with women, but he just can't seem to do it. His inner
monologue keeps taking over...
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2002
A FAREWELL TO DR. WADDEL - 1M, One-Act (15 min) - Co-written with Evelyn Reece - Dr.
Moses Waddel, fifth president of the University of Georgia, hands over the keys
to the sixth president, Dr. Alonzo Church, in this biographical play - set in the
actual home both men resided in during the early part of the 19th century.
Adapted from a play by Thomas Horton, and written exclusively for the Church-
Waddel-Brumby House in Athens, GA.
***The tour starts at the Church-Waddel-Brumby house with A FAREWELL TO DR. WADDEL, a
vignette Daniel Guyton wrote while collaborating with [Evelyn] Reece. The play is adapted in
part from Thomas Horton’s work, Log Cabin Learning on the Carolina Frontier. It’s a story
that chronicles a changing of the guard between two early University of Georgia presidents
during the early 1800's when the university was struggling. Even in hard times, the students
wanted to give their leader a fitting send-off, Reece said. The boys were rascals during this
period – they’d stay up all night having parties and playing music,” she said. “Some things
haven’t changed that much.”." (Joe VanHoose, Athens Banner-Herald, 2011)
---Produced by the Athens Welcome Center in Athens, GA, 2011
THE FATHER AND THE SON - 2M, various voices. One-Act (10 min), God becomes an
atheist. Hijinks ensue.
---Performed at Theatre! Theatre! in Portland, Oregon in 2007
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
A FRIEND TO ALL THE LITTLE GUYS - 3M,1F. One-Act (40 min); Two mob thugs
pressure a poor schlub into doing their dirty work. Ey, it's freakin' hilarious.
---Adapted into a short film titled "Frankie's Lament" at the University of Georgia, 2002
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2005
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT - 1M,2F. One-Act (12 min), A young man tries to kill
himself in this dark, disturbing comedy, but an accidental murder puts things
into perspective. Mature audiences only.
***In Daniel Guyton's GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT, the blackest of black comedies, the
suicide attempts of the title character (played by Joey Folsom) keep getting interrupted by
the telephone and the doorbell... Guyton's delightfully perverse script is one that you'll
remember." (Lawson Taitte, The Dallas Morning News, 2010)
***Dan Guyton’s GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT opens with an image that shouldn’t be as funny
as it is: a young man (Joey Folsom), pointing a gun into his own mouth. But thanks to Folsom’s
expert delivery and Lisa Anne Haram’s hilarious performance as his all-abiding mother, this
darkest-of-dark-comedies had the audience in stitches." (Will Arbery, D Magazine, 2010)
***Can suicide, serial murder and a potty-mouthed girl scout be funny? Hell yeah, as proven
by Daniel Guyton's tarpit-dark comedy GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT... The beauty lies in the
writing, which is snappy, succinct and original... The opening scene in Georgie is comic
gold, and the closing line... could not be more perfect." (Mark Lowry, Theatre Jones, 2010)
***One of the best entries in the 2010 FIT (Festival)" (Mark Lowry, Theatre Jones, 2011)
***This black comedy... is a tidy, tiny enterprise in delayed gratification, kind of like a
Thurber short story compared to a Faulkner novel. All the language and character and
thematic depth exist in both, just on a different scale... Impeccable timing by a tight, focused
cast ensemble with plenty of textural gravitas and dry comic delivery... This is exactly the
sort of creative endeavor that matches FIT’s mission and maintains a high level of artistic
integrity. Joey Folsom, in a surprising, clean-shaven, buttoned-down turn, helms the play with
signature crisp stage presence and distinctive voice. His lengthy, surreal, tender
conversation with a dead body is an acting high point for the entire Festival. Lisa Anne
Haram creates a bizarre reality, as horrifying as she is delicious to watch. Stephanie Hall
masters the transitional arc [of] the play... with outstanding physical acting; the... play
relies almost entirely on her convincing portrayal. And it works famously. Plan on being
horrified, then amazed, then relieved; and imagine James Thurber. It’s a strong start for
novice director Chad Cline." (Alexandra Bonifield, Critical Rant & Rave, 2010)
***[Stephanie Hall's] physical comedy in this part – where she channels a rag doll – is
hilarious. In a festival well-known for minimalist sets, this one wins the prize for the most
minimalist. Ever. There is almost nothing to distract the viewer – all the attention and focus
is on the three actors." (Carol Anne Gordon, Pegasus News, 2010)
***Just one more day in the life of a suicidal/homicidal maniac and his mother, this double
bill includes Dan Guyton’s GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT, a black comedy about an
underachieving momma’s boy with a vision and the girl scout who stands in his way." (David
Meglino, FIT Festival Press Release, 2010)
***From the short play by Daniel Guyton comes a slice from the worst day of George McCauley
Robertson's life. The recipe for this Black Comedy: manic depressive, suicidal, homicidal
college graduate + a fully loaded revolver + his Momma + a Girl Scout + Thin Mints. At the
heart this film is... a young man who has invested everything of himself in the American
Dream being slapped in the face with the reality that the American Dream is a lie. Hard
work and dedication don't get you much when you are a member of the expendable dwindling
middle class in modern America. GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT tells the tale of how one
college graduate deals with being pushed too far and let down by his society. After
successful runs across the nation on stage, this "delightfully dark", "jaw dropping",
"heartbreaking", "relevant" story is being re-imagined for the screen.. (Joey Folsom,
Emotionalism Films, 2011)
***In GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT, a man is on the precipice of suicide until his mother
shows up and ends things with a bang." (Roxanne MacManus, Willamette Week Online, 2010)
***GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT is a dramedy about a guy who loses his job, and about some of
the bad decisions he's made involving himself, his mother and a girl scout. Not like you’re
thinking, though." (Patricia Sindelar, The Omaha Reader, 2009)
***[Eric] Grant-Leanna... stood out in the evening's first one-act entitled GEORGIE GETS A
FACELIFT, portraying a suicidal schlemiel." (Mark Robinson, Omaha Theater Examiner, 2009)
***The first offering, GEORGIE GETS A FACELIFT by Daniel Guyton, gave Liz Mulhern a
chance to shine as an airhead mother pooh-poohing the problems of her suicidal and
psychopathic son." (Warren Francke, The Omaha Reader, 2009)
***Haunting, poetic, beautiful and funny." (Brian Harris, Strawberry One-Act Festival award
winner, 2006)
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2002
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2003
---Finalist in the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region IV 10-Min Play Competition 2003
---Performed by The Incumbo Theater Company in Manhattan, 2004
---Semi-Finalist in The Riant Theatre's Strawberry One-Act Festival in Manhattan, 2005
---Performed on Truth Unvarnished Lacquered Up Shiny (Verizon Public TV) 2007
---Published in Desert Road's One Acts of Note 2008, 2009
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced at the Shelterbelt Theatre's Shelterskelter Festival XIV in Omaha, NE, 2009
---Published by Production Scripts as a Digital Download, 2009
---Produced by Third Eye Theatre as part of the Grand Guignol Festival in Portland, OR, 2010
---Produced by The Pegasus Theatre for the 12th Annual FIT Festival in Dallas, TX, 2010
---Joey Folsom's Georgie listed as Outstanding Male Performance and Great Performance, 2010
---Adapted into a short film by Emotionalism Films and Cine De Gato Loco, 2012
GOT CHANGE FOR A TWO? - 3M,2F. One-Act (45 min) - Co-written with Spencer Temkin.
Two friends get drunk, discuss money, and bad-mouth the opposite sex. Well...
not as much as they bad-mouth each other.
---Performed at SUNY Albany in 1999
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Published by Production Scripts as a Digital Download, 2011
HALF-WIT - 2M,1F. One-Act (1 min), A couple neglect the husband's unstable father
because he is not "socially acceptable."
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
HOW I MET YOUR SANTA - 1F. One-Act (10 min) - Mrs Claus explains how she and
Santa first met, in this one woman monologue.
***Moving without deviation in the direction of Christmas sweetness, spiced with gentle
humor, was Gayle Steigerwald's monologue, 'HOW I MET YOUR SANTA,' by Daniel Guyton."
(Jay Harvey, IndyStar.com, 2011)
***Rocking into the Gotta Go spotlight this week is Gayle Steigerwald in "HOW I MET YOUR
SANTA," the tale of her first meeting with Saint Nick. The delightful tale is all the more
sentimental because of Steigerwald's tender storytelling ability. You will find yourself
believing every word of the future Mrs. Claus' account of the Christmas she encountered the
jolly elf in her childhood home. It is no surprise that this piece earns the Gotta Go "favorite
of the evening" award once I realized afterward that it had been written by Daniel Guyton.
You'll remember Guyton receiving my "favorite of the evening" in 2009 during Phoenix
Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 4: Our Stockings are Stuffed with "Death of a Snowman."
Guyton brings tender, real moments to the stage without slipping down the too-much slope."
(Elizabeth J Musgrave, Gotta Go! Newsletter, 2011)
***The sixth version of the Phoenix Theatre's annual holiday revue is a blend of spoken and
sung comedy, poignancy and insight into the ambivalence that surrounds Christmas
celebrations... Daniel Guyton's "HOW I MET YOUR SANTA" ensures that the sentimental side
is not ignored." (Jay Harvey, IndyStar.com, 2011)
***Oh, how sweet and wonderful your monologue is... I hope you receive TONS of productions
of this sweet and moving piece." (Mary Steelsmith, Playwrights' Binge, 2011)
***HOW I MET YOUR SANTA... Simply amazing!" (Alison Becker, Phoenix Theatre, 2011)
---Produced by the Phoenix Theatre's A Very Phoenix Xmas 6 Festival in Indianapolis, IN, 2011
---Recipient of the Gotta Go! Newsletter's "Favorite of the Evening" award in 2011
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2012
IN THE SHADOW OF A WAR - 2M. One-Act (10 min), A nod to Samuel Beckett, and a
satire of this blasted war. Two roommates await the cannon fire of an
impending army.
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
MACABRE-CADABRA - 2M,1F. One-Act (20 min), A magician with a very dark secret
suddenly gets an offer that he... really should refuse.
---Produced at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR, 2011
---Presented at the Process Theatre's Play Day Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2011
MACBREATH - 5M,5F. One-Act (25 min), a parody of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Set in
corporate America. Highlights include Dunkin', the president of the Donut
company, getting killed by a scalding cup of coffee.
---Published in Dimensions Magazine in 1995
---Performed at Sachem High School in 1995
MID-DAY AT THE GREASY SPOON - 2M. One-Act (10 min), Two friends meet at a
greasy spoon diner, eat lousy soup and talk about love.
---Unproduced
MILO & BARBARA - 1M,1F. One-Act (15 min), Barbara's life is turned upside-down
when her husband suddenly vanishes without a warning. When he returns
four weeks later, they each try to pick up the pieces.
---Finalist in the Kennedy Center/ACTF Region IV 10-min Play Competition 2002
---Performed at the Maureen Stapleton Theatre in New York, 2002
---Performed at The University of Georgia in Athens, GA 2002
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Performed at Left of Center Theatre in LA in 2008
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced as a Short Film by Baxter's End Productions, 2011
MRS. CLAUS GETS MENOPAUSE - 1M,1F One-Act (10 min) - Santa's wife experiences
some magical "changes" on the most important day of Santa's year!
***Your plays were the best at Christmas Shorts. Enjoyed them with an oversold-out house
today!." (Mark Cole, Onstage Atlanta, 2011)
---Produced at Onstage Atlanta's Merry Little Holiday Shorts Festival in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Produced at ACME Theatre's New Works Winter Festival 2012, in Maynard, MA, 2012
POOR BASTARD - 2M. One-Act (10 min), A homeless man and a businessman trade
places, except the businessman doesn't quite know it yet...
---Unproduced
REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS - 1F,2M One-Act (10 min) - Mrs Claus reveals how she
almost married Arthur Kringle, Santa's rebellious brother.
***I absolutely love this piece... I truly think REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS is going to be one of
the strongest and most memorable shows of the evening." (Sylvia Veith, Onstage Atlanta, 2011)
---Produced at Onstage Atlanta's Merry Little Holiday Shorts Festival in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2012
ROMANCE IS DEAD - 1M. Monologue (20 min). "I sleep with dead people..." Dr.
Edward Bainsbridge has been arrested for a terrible crime - interfering with a
dead body. Four dead bodies, to be exact. Come hear his terrible confession,
which will shock you, repulse you, and might even make you laugh...
***Extremely well-written and deplorably funny." (Geri Albrecht, Heuer Publishing, 2007)
***Your show is wonderful. I feel that it is one of the strongest pieces in the [Grand Guignol
Festival]." (Ravyn Jazper-Hawke, Third Eye Theatre, 2011)
***Thanks for writing such an awesome piece. I've had a great time with this role and I
haven't been this excited about an opening night in a long time. It's stuff like this that made
me fall in love with acting in the first place." (Charlie Pierce, Third Eye Theatre, 2011)
---Performed at The University of Georgia in 2004
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
---Produced by Third Eye Theatre as part of the Grand Guignol Festival in Portland, OR, 2011
---Performed at Collaborations Atlanta in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Performed at the Emerging Artist Theatre's One Man Talking Festival, 2012
ROSIE, THE RETIRED ROCKETTE - 4F, One-Act (10 min) - 86-year old Rosie is in a
nursing home, but she still thinks she's back in her fabulous Rockette days.
***I love it. It's just a lovely piece of black humor, yet heartwarming, and real. It's edgy, and
sweet and funny... and a bit warped." (CJ Ehrlich, Playwrights' Binge, 2011)
---Presented at the Process Theatre's Play Day Read-A-Thon in Atlanta, GA, 2011
---Produced by n.u.f.a.n. ensemble's 7 Plays in 7 Holi-days festival in Chicago, IL, 2011
---Published by Heuer Publishing in 2012
SPAT! - 2M,1F. One-Act (10 min), A man and wife have a horrible argument over the
wife's affair with an illegal immigrant.
---Performed at Saturday Night Lites in LA in 2005
---Published in Quick & Painless: Volume I in 2005
---Performed at The Author's Playhouse in New York, 2005
---Adapted by The Talented Talent Brothers in New York, 2005
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
THE TOOTH FAIRY GETS AIDS - 2M, One-Act (10 min) - The Tooth Fairy gets some
really bad news...
---Unproduced
YOU TRIPPIN? - 4M. One-Act (10 min); 4 teenagers plan to shoot up their high
school. Are they for real? Or are they just "trippin?" It's a very dark comedy.
---Performed at SUNY Albany in 2000
---Published in The Twisted Mind of Daniel Guyton (Poetry & Plays), 2009
SCREENPLAYS
FOR WHOM THE (WEDDING) BELL TOLLS -4M,4F. Short (10 min); A young woman is
determined to get married today - even if her fiance can't make it to the
wedding!
---Produced for the Atlanta 48-Hour Film Festival, 2010
THE FOUNTAIN - 2M,1F. Short (10 min); A love triangle between a man, a woman,
and an a**hole.
---Produced as a student film at the University of Georgia, 2002
UTOPIA 69 - Full-Length (2 hrs) - Story by Rachael Lambert. Somewhere betwixt A Brave
New World and Woody Allen's Sleeper rests Utopia 69; a dystopian nightmare
fantasy in which illnesses, wars, and poverty have been erased. In their stead
is moral decay, a lack of love, and a whole lot of one-night stands. If we
eliminate conflict in our lives, can humanity still exist?
---Unproduced
WORKS IN PROGRESS
DECEMBER 24TH - 2M, One-Act (10 min) - 'Twas the night before Christmas, and
two thieves are robbing a house...
---In Progress
DECK THE HALLS WITH MELANCHOLY (OR, THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT) -
3M,1F One-Act (10 min) - An old man loses his wife in the weeks before Christmas
during this somber Iambic Pentameter play.
---In Progress
FLAWS - Equally minimalist and multimedia-heavy exploration into the role of
media on the self-esteems and value perceptions of seven different college
students at an all-American university.
---In Progress
THE GRINCH WHO B****-SLAPPED SANTA CLAUS, AND OTHER CHRISTMAS
CHEER - 2M,1F, Full-Length (90 min) - Grimbaldt the Christmas Pimp spreads
Christmas Cheer (and syphilis) in this twisted, dirty, naughty and hilarious
Christmas play. Mature audiences only.
---In Progress
THE SINS OF REBETHANY CHASTAIN - 1F, One-Act (10 min) - A prison inmate shares
her story about how she got arrested, in this one woman monologue.
---In Progress
URINE TROUBLE NOW - 2M, One-Act (10 min) - A job interview is going well - up until
the inevitable "piss test" that goes horribly awry.
---In Progress
THE WINE CELLAR - Full-Length Screenplay (2 hrs) - A murder mystery.
---In Progress
| Got Change For a Two? |
