Thomas W. Olson began his professional theatre career at age 17 as an actor with The Children's Theatre Company (CTC); he eventually became a member of its resident acting company and also served as stage manager, promotions director, stage director, literary manager, dramaturg for 24 productions by guest playwrights, and, from 1978-1990, as CTC's resident playwright. To date, CTC has commissioned and produced more scripts by Thomas W. Olson than any other playwright in its history (30 scripts in 45 productions and three national tours), including world premiere adaptations of The Clown of God, Dracula, The Hobbit, The Phantom of the Opera, and his award-winning The Secret Garden. Beyond CTC, nearly a dozen additional original plays and adapted works have received productions by Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (mainstage and national tour), the National Arts Centre of Canada, Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, Arkansas Arts Center, Indiana Repertory Theater, Riverside Shakespeare Theatre and other troupes large and small across North America and beyond. His adaptation of Frankenstein became a nationally-broadcast CBS television special and The Marvelous Land of Oz, for MCA/Universal, appeared on HBO and Showtime cable as well as home video.
