Thomas W. Olson

Thomas W. Olson is an American playwright and lyricist known for his adaptations of L. Frank Baum's The Marvelous Land of Oz, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (both of which aired on television), and Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage.

From 1978 to 1990, he was playwright in residence for the Children's Theatre Company of Minneapolis, where he has also been an actor, stage manager, promotions director, stage director, and literary manager. Most of his plays are literary adaptations, but he also wrote an original work about The Troubles, The Troubles: Children of Belfast (1987), with music by jazz trumpeter Alan Shorter.

Plays

• The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1977) based on the poem by Robert Browning
• The Marvelous Land of Oz (1980) based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, music by Richard A. Dworsky, lyrics by Gary Briggle
• The Adventures of Babar (1980) based on the stories by Jean de Brunhoff, music and lyrics by Steven Rydberg
• Pippi Longstocking (1982) based on the novel by Astrid Lindgren, music by Roberta Carlson
• Mister Pickwick's Christmas (1982) based on the novel by Charles Dickens, music and lyrics by Hiram Titus
• Penrod (1984) based on the book by Booth Tarkington, music by Anita Ruth
• The Adventures of Mottel (1985) based on the novel by Sholom Aleichem, with Judith Luck Sher
• Beatrix Potter's Christmas (1986), based on the works of Beatrix Potter, music and lyrics by Anita Ruth
• Frankenstein (1986) based on the novel by Mary Shelley
• Merry Christmas, Strega Nona (1987) based on the Strega Nona story by Tomie dePaola, music and lyrics by Alan Shorter
• The Troubles: Children of Belfast (1987) original work, music by Alan Shorter
• The Secret Garden (1988) based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, music by Hiram Titus
• Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars (1988) based on the BBC television drama of the same name
• The Velveteen Rabbit (1988) based on the story by Margery Williams
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1992) based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, music by Victor Zupanc
• The Wind in the Willows (1994) based on the novel by Kenneth Grahame, music by Roberta Carlson
• The Prince and the Pauper (1997) based on the novel by Mark Twain
• The Clown of God based on the story by Tomie dePaola, music by Steven Rydberg
• The Red Badge of Courage based on the novel by Stephen Crane
• Strega Nona (2009) based on the story by Tomie de Paola, original lyrics Olson and Roberta Carlson, music by Aron Accurso
• Dracula based on the novel by Bram Stoker
• The Hobbit based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Jungle Book based on the story collection by Rudyard Kipling
• The Phantom of the Opera based on the novel by Gaston Leroux

External links

• Thomas W. Olson at Plays for New Audiences
• Thomas W. Olson on Doollee