“Sean was an amazing resource as a teacher both in and out of the classroom. Not only did he foster a comfortable and engaging learning environment, he also offered insight when I asked him time and time again for advice as I was working on job applications. Sean was also able to identify subject matter within the course curriculum that I was particularly passionate about, and allowed me to explore those passions further by letting me lead the class in a lecture one day. I’m so grateful for everything he did for me, and he is absolutely a big part of why I have a job right now.”

“Sean was my first ever college professor when I started at Florida State, and not only did he help transition from high school into college comfortably, he also taught me a lot. His lectures were fact-packed but also incredibly engaging, his feedback on papers was incredibly helpful, and his class was my favorite class to date I have taken at FSU. He really influenced me a lot through not only his teaching, but through his outside the classroom directing and engagement with students. He’s an incredibly supportive, helpful, and caring influence on the theatre students at FSU.”

“Sean’s clear passion and extraordinary depth of knowledge was outdone only by the profound respect for those he taught. Sean inspired remarkably high-level discussions and explorations on some of the most difficult plays in the Western canon, earning him the respect and gratitude of those he taught. He taught me to think more analytically and challenged me to sharply question the fundamental assumptions I had about our play’s characters. More than this, as an educator he has a remarkable reputation as someone countless students can—and do—turn to for advice and guidance about their own artistic works as well.”

“Sean Bartley’s method of teaching created the best classroom atmosphere and group discussions I have ever been a part of. It was because of his open communication and expertise on every text that I couldn’t wait to read each play for class and start dissecting everything about them as soon as I could! The best part about his class was the time and care he devoted to each of his students, we all felt very safe to discuss our ideas because of the wonderful way in which Sean created a safe space for each and every one of us. Sean was and is an excellent teacher and mentor.”

“Sean builds a curriculum that excited and challenges his students. He consistently celebrates them inside and outside the classroom. He approaches every discussion with the eagerness and infectious glee of a teacher who looks for his own new perspectives from his students. In his Dramaturgy class, I pushed myself harder than I ever had before.”

“Sean was one of the best teachers I had at FSU. He let me explore my ideas to the end and never curtailed me or made me feel bad for taking up his time with them. His classes made me excited about theatre, old and new. With his support, I was able to discover my other passions even when they were outside of the direct field of theatre and how best to utilize them with theatre when possible. He remained supportive even when I was no longer in his classes, and he has always remained a teacher and mentor to me.”

“Sean has been one of the most inspirational and resourceful teachers I have had the pleasure of learning from during my undergraduate career. He is passionate, caring, engaging, and very dedicated to the subjects he teaches. I always learned something new about how to approach a piece of theatrical art (play, musical, opera, ballet, performance art). I love how discussion-based his teaching is, and how it allows you to not only learn from him but also from the rest of the class. I came to him one summer asking for a recommendation for a music Fulbright and for graduate school. He not only wrote me the recommendations, but also helped me in the grant-writing process and with my personal statements.”

“A class taught by Sean Bartley isn’t just a class. A class taught by Sean Bartley is a hearty, savory, deliciously Socratic feast of discussion and dialogue. With his stores of theatre knowledge and experience, Sean facilitates meaningful discussion and places priority on the students’ exploration of their own thoughts and ideas. His lesson plans and units of study are clever and flexible, allowing an organic, student-driven flow while still covering all integral points. I had class with Sean three times a week and I always looked forward to it. He made theatre ten times more magical and yet ten times less daunting as a career path with stories of his own theatre experiences, something I deeply appreciated as a student on the verge of graduation. Sean Bartley is one of the most effective educators I’ve ever met.”

“It was during my semester in Dramaturgy that Sean really inspired me to consider going to Graduate School in the future. He is the only professor I have ever had whose thirst for knowledge triggered my own thirst to seek more knowledge. He allowed information to flow out into the classroom, around to each student, back to him, and back out again. The learning was constant and circular.”

“As an incoming freshman I did not really know what to expect from college professors. I was walking in blind. From the beginning Sean made the entire class and I feel completely engaged with the subject material. As a teacher he went above and beyond to make sure we had a positive learning experience and that is something that I will never forget. ”

“Sean Bartley is one of the most inspiring mentors a student could ask for. He is vibrant, intelligent, and has the ability to make anything interesting. He helped me find a passion for dramaturgy, a field I didn’t know existed, that led me to dramaturg two FSU main stage productions.”

“In four years of college, Play Analysis was my favorite class because of Sean’s approach to leading us. He creates a safe environment to express our thoughts and, often times, prompts conversations that lead to deeper readings of the plays. Sean creates an intellectually and creatively stimulating environment.”