Dan Wirth has been involved with theatre for most of his life. As a professional actor he toured throughout the United States with The Acting Company. While living in New York City, he performed at the Public Theatre, the Harold Clurman Theatre, the 18th Street Playhouse, Lamb’s Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons, The American Place Theatre, and the Actor’s and Director’s Lab (later renamed the Samuel Beckett Theatre.) In Europe, he performed at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival and in London’s West End. Regionally, he has appeared at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and the Utah and Oregon Shakespeare Festivals.

He worked with the esteemed directors Alan Schneider, Joseph Papp, Michael Langham, Liviu Ciulei, Garland Wright, Jerry Turner, and Sharon Ott, and has appeared on-stage with James Cromwell, J. T. Walsh, Jimmy Smits, Jamey Sheridan, Bob Gunton, Diane Venora, Kathleen Widdoes, David Warrilow, Alvin Epstein, Leigh Taylor-Young, Margaret Reed, Howard Korder, Wayne Knight, and Jeff Daniels. Dan was a Chicago Cub in the film Rookie of the Year. In Chicago, he appeared at the Raven Theatre and again at the Filament Theatre in Lounging. He has directed for six theatre companies in the Chicago area including Fury Theatre's production of The Merry Wives of Windsor.

As Artistic Director of The Intimate Theatre, his production of Miss Julie, the play's world premiere in a new translation, had a highly successful run with a cast of professional actors. This was a very ambitious undertaking for a new theatre company, and its success generated a great deal of visibility and respect for the group. An award winning playwright, Dan’s play Used Carlotta won new play contests at the Source Theatre in Washington, D.C. and the New American Comedy Festival in Ukiah, California, and was produced each time. It was also a finalist in the National Playwrights Conference at the O'Neill Theater Center. The Cleveland Public Theatre featured Urban Renovator Blues in their Eighth Festival of New Plays. In Chicago, his production of the play was chosen as the premiere theatre piece for the reopening of Cabaret Voltaire, a performing space that went on to feature many new and experimental theatre works. Also a published poet and a film maker, Dan has taught theatre and communication courses at Dominican University, Wright College, Harper College, Oakton College, Daley College, Barat College, and Lake Forest College.

In his numerous years at Northeastern Illinois University he has directed Nuevas Voces, Babel, Offended!, Episode 26, Why Torture Is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them, The Cherry Orchard, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Fuddy Meers, An Inspector Calls, Charley’s Aunt, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Birthday Party, Dracula, Buried Child, Little Murders, The Curate Shakespeare As You Like It, The Nerd, four Children’s Theatre productions, and eight Summer Transition Program Drama Workshops. He appeared on stage at NEIU as a very large Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest. He has an M.F.A. from The University of California, San Diego, and a B.S. from Central Michigan University.