2.5 MINUTE RIDE
"Best comeback: Lisa Powers, in her first professional acting job in a decade, starred in 2.5 Minute Ride, Lisa Kron's spellbinding one-woman show about the Holocaust and an American family. Todd Olson directed the superb production at American Stage."
"An artistic triumph…a superb production…storytelling at its most seductive…warm, shrewd and often hilarious…brilliant, stylish, seamless, striking, remarkable, deeply humane."
-Tampa Bay Times
"A must-see production…remarkable…splendid…Lisa Powers delivers as near perfect a performance in this one-woman show as you can hope to see anywhere, and I'm including New York and London and Mars…Kron's text is exceedingly intelligent and emotionally urgent."
-Creative Loafing
"An artistic triumph…a superb production…storytelling at its most seductive…warm, shrewd and often hilarious…brilliant, stylish, seamless, striking, remarkable, deeply humane."
-Tampa Bay Times
"A must-see production…remarkable…splendid…Lisa Powers delivers as near perfect a performance in this one-woman show as you can hope to see anywhere, and I'm including New York and London and Mars…Kron's text is exceedingly intelligent and emotionally urgent."
-Creative Loafing
THE AMISH PROJECT (2013, American Stage Theatre Company)
Theatre Tampa Bay Awards:
Outstanding Production, Play
Outstanding Director, Play - Todd Olson
Outstanding Lead Actress, Play – Katherine Tanner
Outstanding Sound Design - Todd Olson
Outstanding Set Design (nomination)- Greg Bierce
Outstanding Lighting Design (nomination) - Ian Mills
“We, in the Bay area, are so very fortunate to have such a stimulating, ambitious, and innovative, First Class, Professional Regional Theatre, as the American Stage Theatre Company in St. Petersburg. Other cities could only hope to have as diverse a venue, with extraordinary programming and production values, as "our" little gem. "Bravo!", to Artistic Director Todd Olson…Mr. Bierce's brilliant use of 10 doors with clear lucite panels, is used as chalk boards, allowing the audience to see through them…Katherine Michelle Tanner's performance is simply, captivating. She transforms magically into each character, without a moment of hesitation. This is true artistry, of a multi-talented, stage veteran. Miss. Tanner gives a riveting, unforgettable performance, unlike any I have seen in years. "The Amish Project", is a showcase for the masterful skills of director Todd Olson. Mr Olson's vision, insight, and obvious passion for this piece, makes it spellbinding! ~ BRAVO! Congratulations! This is a 5 star production. Do Not Miss It! YOU won't forgive yourself!”
-BroadwayWorld.com
“THE AMISH PROJECT is Powerful Theater…exactly the sort of play the theater should be doing in our troubled times… Uncanny…a theatrical jewel…Katherine Michelle Tanner gives an awesome performance [in this] powerful, upsetting but ultimately thoughtful production at American Stage...Tanner's fluency in going from one character to the next is breathtaking [on] Greg Bierce's inspired set design.”
-Tampa Bay Times
Outstanding Production, Play
Outstanding Director, Play - Todd Olson
Outstanding Lead Actress, Play – Katherine Tanner
Outstanding Sound Design - Todd Olson
Outstanding Set Design (nomination)- Greg Bierce
Outstanding Lighting Design (nomination) - Ian Mills
“We, in the Bay area, are so very fortunate to have such a stimulating, ambitious, and innovative, First Class, Professional Regional Theatre, as the American Stage Theatre Company in St. Petersburg. Other cities could only hope to have as diverse a venue, with extraordinary programming and production values, as "our" little gem. "Bravo!", to Artistic Director Todd Olson…Mr. Bierce's brilliant use of 10 doors with clear lucite panels, is used as chalk boards, allowing the audience to see through them…Katherine Michelle Tanner's performance is simply, captivating. She transforms magically into each character, without a moment of hesitation. This is true artistry, of a multi-talented, stage veteran. Miss. Tanner gives a riveting, unforgettable performance, unlike any I have seen in years. "The Amish Project", is a showcase for the masterful skills of director Todd Olson. Mr Olson's vision, insight, and obvious passion for this piece, makes it spellbinding! ~ BRAVO! Congratulations! This is a 5 star production. Do Not Miss It! YOU won't forgive yourself!”
-BroadwayWorld.com
“THE AMISH PROJECT is Powerful Theater…exactly the sort of play the theater should be doing in our troubled times… Uncanny…a theatrical jewel…Katherine Michelle Tanner gives an awesome performance [in this] powerful, upsetting but ultimately thoughtful production at American Stage...Tanner's fluency in going from one character to the next is breathtaking [on] Greg Bierce's inspired set design.”
-Tampa Bay Times
THE AMISH PROJECT (2015, Oklahoma City Rep)
"Top Female Acting Performance of 2015" -Criticalrant.com (Oklahoma City)
“THE AMISH PROJECT is a stroke of genius…magnificent and astonishing, a blessing on us…It seems difficult to put into a couple of hundred words the moral power and authority of this unusual play…it covers the themes of compassion, faith and forgiveness as brilliantly as could be imagined in a 75-minute telling…As for Tanner’s performance, a thousand words could not do it justice.” -City Sentinel, Oklahoma City
“THE AMISH PROJECT is such a noble, well-crafted play. Exquisitely realized, as if the beats dance on the head of a pin, reflected timelessly by the heartbeat of the Universe. I don't often sit and weep when a play concludes (way too jaded for that), but I sure did this afternoon...it felt as though I wept for all the sorrows the world has known. Yes, Katherine is exceptional. To keep performing that raw work with the process she has to go through every time? FEARLESS and RESILIENT.”
-Alexandra Bonifield, Onstageblog.com
“THE AMISH PROJECT is a stroke of genius…magnificent and astonishing, a blessing on us…It seems difficult to put into a couple of hundred words the moral power and authority of this unusual play…it covers the themes of compassion, faith and forgiveness as brilliantly as could be imagined in a 75-minute telling…As for Tanner’s performance, a thousand words could not do it justice.” -City Sentinel, Oklahoma City
“THE AMISH PROJECT is such a noble, well-crafted play. Exquisitely realized, as if the beats dance on the head of a pin, reflected timelessly by the heartbeat of the Universe. I don't often sit and weep when a play concludes (way too jaded for that), but I sure did this afternoon...it felt as though I wept for all the sorrows the world has known. Yes, Katherine is exceptional. To keep performing that raw work with the process she has to go through every time? FEARLESS and RESILIENT.”
-Alexandra Bonifield, Onstageblog.com
THE AMISH PROJECT (2015, Banyan Theatre, Sarasota)
“I have been writing for more than 35 years and I can't begin to find the words to pay tribute to your performance last night. It was flawless -- moving and haunting and funny and wrenching and mind-boggling. I am not a religious person, but you made me see God. Thank you for the gift of this performance. You will change lives.”
-Carrie Siedman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“Heartbreaking, inspiring and compassionate…wonderfully vibrant…In the two years since she first played the roles at American Stage in St. Petersburg, Tanner has only grown stronger, more confident and compelling…In just under 80 minutes, Tanner draws you into a different world, gets you involved and makes you feel all the joys, sorrows and promises that life can present.”
-Jay Handleman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“Under Todd Olson’s brilliant direction, Katherine Michelle Tanner brings this remote tragedy home in a sometimes harrowing, sometimes inspiring one-woman performance…creating hypnotic permutations in the process…It all adds up to a powerful evening of theater.”
-YourObservor.com
“Katherine Michelle Tanner's performance is a marvel…poignant and powerful.”
-Bradenton Herald
-YourObservor.com
“Katherine Michelle Tanner's performance is a marvel…poignant and powerful.”
-Bradenton Herald
AN IDEAL HUSBAND (1999)
Lesley Beatty, Melissa Friedman, Nan Gurley, Lane Wright, and Anna Stone
“Victorious. The Rep has a real winner here-certainly a production of the highest professional values. If it is not perfect, it is definitely close to being, well, ideal.”
-The Nashville Scene
-The Nashville Scene
AN IDEAL HUSBAND (2011)
Richard B. Watson and Amanda Collins
“Outstanding…[a] sumptuous feast of a production…Todd Olson, the director of the much-acclaimed American Stage Company in St. Petersburg, Fla., directs a smashing production.”
-Provincetown Banner
“Using Wilde's brilliant script, [Olson] has artfully created a period piece that still speaks volumes about today's movers and shakers and the political scandals that unfold around many of them...breathes new life into an insightful drama.”
-Cape Cod Chronicle
“Another American Stage must-see…Todd Olson's streamlined directing, doubly farcical and gorgeous costumes by Anne Miggins, and an incomparable cast, this show combined the best that theater has to offer.”
-Tampa Tribune
“Brilliant…tour de force…devilishly clever…may be the most topical play you'll see all year.”
-St. Petersburg Times
-Provincetown Banner
“Using Wilde's brilliant script, [Olson] has artfully created a period piece that still speaks volumes about today's movers and shakers and the political scandals that unfold around many of them...breathes new life into an insightful drama.”
-Cape Cod Chronicle
“Another American Stage must-see…Todd Olson's streamlined directing, doubly farcical and gorgeous costumes by Anne Miggins, and an incomparable cast, this show combined the best that theater has to offer.”
-Tampa Tribune
“Brilliant…tour de force…devilishly clever…may be the most topical play you'll see all year.”
-St. Petersburg Times
ANNA IN THE TROPICS
Creative Loafing’s "Top 10 Plays of the Decade" (2000-2010)
“The key player here is the director Todd Olson: you just have to love everything he's done with Anna, from his brilliant casting to his expansion of a rather efficient script into a deeply felt, emotionally logical series of colorful events...Anna in the Tropics continues, into a new season, the quality work that Todd Olson brought with him to St. Petersburg when he became American Stage artistic director more than a year ago. There are theaters -- for example, Florida Studio Theatre and the Asolo in Sarasota -- that always put on top-notch productions, regardless of the quality of script. It's now clear that American Stage, under Olson's attentive leadership, has become one of those theaters. I expect quality work before I even get to my seat, and time and again that's what I find. It should go without saying that it's a delight to attend plays at a theater with this consistency."
-Weekly Planet
“The key player here is the director Todd Olson: you just have to love everything he's done with Anna, from his brilliant casting to his expansion of a rather efficient script into a deeply felt, emotionally logical series of colorful events...Anna in the Tropics continues, into a new season, the quality work that Todd Olson brought with him to St. Petersburg when he became American Stage artistic director more than a year ago. There are theaters -- for example, Florida Studio Theatre and the Asolo in Sarasota -- that always put on top-notch productions, regardless of the quality of script. It's now clear that American Stage, under Olson's attentive leadership, has become one of those theaters. I expect quality work before I even get to my seat, and time and again that's what I find. It should go without saying that it's a delight to attend plays at a theater with this consistency."
-Weekly Planet
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
.
7 Theatre Tampa Bay nominations, including Todd Olson for “Outstanding Sound Design”
and “Outstanding Director, Play”
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS is...“Brilliant…couldn’t be funnier…amazing…comic tour de force…[a] carnival of pleasures…[this] theatrical adaptation circles the globe by ship, train and elephant in high comic style…designed shrewdly by scenarist Jerid Fox…At the center of it all is the vastly talented Brian Webb Russell [and] the remarkable Brian Shea with an outrageous French accent…then there’s Matthew McGee, who in this frolic further solidifies his position as the Tampa Bay area’s top comic performer. McGee plays over a dozen small parts in the course of 80 Days, and with each successive impersonation leads us closer and closer to the enchanted garden of pure comedy, where trees of laughter spring up from a thousand planted funny bones, and the branches are rife with the wholesome chatter of monkey business. To put it most simply: 80 Days is a joy, enchanting and delectable.”
-Creative Loafing
“Impeccable…rollicking…this exuberant play has everything…[a] whimsical romp…will tickle you the way Monty Python did in its heyday. It is full of dry humor and double-takes, rubbery faces and razor-sharp repartee. And there's an elephant on stage! The ingenious set designed by Jerid Fox…might be the most complex technical production the company has done. [Matthew] McGee is such a welcome presence on stage that you can't wait to see in what costume he'll turn up next.”
-Tampa Bay Times
and “Outstanding Director, Play”
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS is...“Brilliant…couldn’t be funnier…amazing…comic tour de force…[a] carnival of pleasures…[this] theatrical adaptation circles the globe by ship, train and elephant in high comic style…designed shrewdly by scenarist Jerid Fox…At the center of it all is the vastly talented Brian Webb Russell [and] the remarkable Brian Shea with an outrageous French accent…then there’s Matthew McGee, who in this frolic further solidifies his position as the Tampa Bay area’s top comic performer. McGee plays over a dozen small parts in the course of 80 Days, and with each successive impersonation leads us closer and closer to the enchanted garden of pure comedy, where trees of laughter spring up from a thousand planted funny bones, and the branches are rife with the wholesome chatter of monkey business. To put it most simply: 80 Days is a joy, enchanting and delectable.”
-Creative Loafing
“Impeccable…rollicking…this exuberant play has everything…[a] whimsical romp…will tickle you the way Monty Python did in its heyday. It is full of dry humor and double-takes, rubbery faces and razor-sharp repartee. And there's an elephant on stage! The ingenious set designed by Jerid Fox…might be the most complex technical production the company has done. [Matthew] McGee is such a welcome presence on stage that you can't wait to see in what costume he'll turn up next.”
-Tampa Bay Times
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Winner, 2012 "Best of the Bay" Award for "Best Play"
Winner of Jeff Norton Awards for "Outstanding Play of 2012," "Best Actress," and "Best Set Design"
BroadwayWorld.com Tampa Bay “Best of the Decade” 2010-2020
#3. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY [American Stage; 2011]
“One of the most emotionally draining and rewarding experiences I have ever had in the theatre. It's also probably the most edge-of-your-seat thrilling non-musical I've seen this decade. Director Todd Olson guided what has to be considered the ultimate ensemble, a dream cast if ever there was one.”
"Brilliantly directed by Todd Olson, Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County was the highlight of the season at American Stage and the Bay area generally. An all-star cast brought us a United States high on Xanax and painkillers, afflicted by terminal narcissism, rent by money-love and youth-addiction and committed to no principle higher than every man and woman for him/herself. Is the American dream so tattered and soiled? This play said “yes” — and said it boisterously, viciously, poignantly."
“See it and believe again in the power of theater…August: Osage County is that good…American Stage assembles a brilliant cast for a hilarious, devastating play…a superbly acted slugfest…13 splendid actors, all of whom seem to have been inspired by this text to rise to new altitudes…If these performances were any better, they'd surely be illegal…Brilliantly directed by Todd Olson, an all-star cast takes Tracy Letts' sometimes hilarious, sometimes devastating dialogue and shows us the sordid underside of an America that is all too recognizable…buy extra tickets for friends and family.”
-Creative Loafing
“The biggest show in American Stage’s 33-year history…[a] gripping production staged by Todd Olson…marvelous…impressive…richly funny, filled with strong language, frightening and ultimately enlightening. “August” is a daring choice for the theater company because of its scope and the ways it tests an audience that is probably accustomed to far more intimate productions at American Stage’s home base in the Raymond James Theatre. But Olson, who is starting his ninth season as producing artistic director, has taken American Stage in new and expanding directions, mixing challenging, new works with classics and far more audience-friendly productions that have only made the theater company more worthy of a drive to downtown St. Petersburg.”
-Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“One of the most satisfying theater experiences in recent memory…it brings down the house…The large cast is as strong from top to bottom as any ever assembled in the bay area…roll-in-the-aisles funny…had the audience howling with laughter…Monstrously funny…brilliant…stunning…ferocious…magnificent…sprawling…terrific…marvelous…Never has the dysfunction of the American family been so hilarious…the audience for Sunday's matinee seemed to be riveted…it kept the audience in stitches…Rarely has such a long play flown by so fast”
-St. Petersburg Times
“Funny as hell…a fierce, fearsome triumph…terrific…explosive…riveting. I would not have missed one minute of this three-hour genocide. Director Todd Olson corralled 13 brilliant cast members into a fierce and fearsome triumph of theater.”
-Tampa Tribune
“On every level, this is professional theater at its finest…Tour de force entertainment…The finest ensemble of acting skill to ever grace a Tampa Bay area stage…Unforgettable…stunning…chilling…the skillfulness of the directing, and sheer excellence of the acting keeps the audience enthralled. Olson truly deserves to be ranked among the most talented directors in Florida…While other larger theaters on the Gulf Coast shied away from this important piece of modern theatre, American Stage was daring enough to stage a production that will be remembered for years to come.”
-newrootsnews.org
Winner of Jeff Norton Awards for "Outstanding Play of 2012," "Best Actress," and "Best Set Design"
BroadwayWorld.com Tampa Bay “Best of the Decade” 2010-2020
#3. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY [American Stage; 2011]
“One of the most emotionally draining and rewarding experiences I have ever had in the theatre. It's also probably the most edge-of-your-seat thrilling non-musical I've seen this decade. Director Todd Olson guided what has to be considered the ultimate ensemble, a dream cast if ever there was one.”
"Brilliantly directed by Todd Olson, Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County was the highlight of the season at American Stage and the Bay area generally. An all-star cast brought us a United States high on Xanax and painkillers, afflicted by terminal narcissism, rent by money-love and youth-addiction and committed to no principle higher than every man and woman for him/herself. Is the American dream so tattered and soiled? This play said “yes” — and said it boisterously, viciously, poignantly."
“See it and believe again in the power of theater…August: Osage County is that good…American Stage assembles a brilliant cast for a hilarious, devastating play…a superbly acted slugfest…13 splendid actors, all of whom seem to have been inspired by this text to rise to new altitudes…If these performances were any better, they'd surely be illegal…Brilliantly directed by Todd Olson, an all-star cast takes Tracy Letts' sometimes hilarious, sometimes devastating dialogue and shows us the sordid underside of an America that is all too recognizable…buy extra tickets for friends and family.”
-Creative Loafing
“The biggest show in American Stage’s 33-year history…[a] gripping production staged by Todd Olson…marvelous…impressive…richly funny, filled with strong language, frightening and ultimately enlightening. “August” is a daring choice for the theater company because of its scope and the ways it tests an audience that is probably accustomed to far more intimate productions at American Stage’s home base in the Raymond James Theatre. But Olson, who is starting his ninth season as producing artistic director, has taken American Stage in new and expanding directions, mixing challenging, new works with classics and far more audience-friendly productions that have only made the theater company more worthy of a drive to downtown St. Petersburg.”
-Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“One of the most satisfying theater experiences in recent memory…it brings down the house…The large cast is as strong from top to bottom as any ever assembled in the bay area…roll-in-the-aisles funny…had the audience howling with laughter…Monstrously funny…brilliant…stunning…ferocious…magnificent…sprawling…terrific…marvelous…Never has the dysfunction of the American family been so hilarious…the audience for Sunday's matinee seemed to be riveted…it kept the audience in stitches…Rarely has such a long play flown by so fast”
-St. Petersburg Times
“Funny as hell…a fierce, fearsome triumph…terrific…explosive…riveting. I would not have missed one minute of this three-hour genocide. Director Todd Olson corralled 13 brilliant cast members into a fierce and fearsome triumph of theater.”
-Tampa Tribune
“On every level, this is professional theater at its finest…Tour de force entertainment…The finest ensemble of acting skill to ever grace a Tampa Bay area stage…Unforgettable…stunning…chilling…the skillfulness of the directing, and sheer excellence of the acting keeps the audience enthralled. Olson truly deserves to be ranked among the most talented directors in Florida…While other larger theaters on the Gulf Coast shied away from this important piece of modern theatre, American Stage was daring enough to stage a production that will be remembered for years to come.”
-newrootsnews.org
BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE
“The epitome of theatre at its best: Todd Olson has created a breathtaking work: near perfection:nothing less than brilliant:The show’s technical aspects are first-rate.”
-The City Paper (Nashville)
-The City Paper (Nashville)
BETRAYAL
Kevin Bergin, Drew Decaro, and Julie Rowe
"Tense and potent…[Pinter’s] words still hurt so good….Pinter's language remains gloriously special, from his rhythmic repetition of innocuous phrases to his bravura explosions of displaced emotion…Director Todd Olson skillfully moves everyone around Scott Cooper's multi-leveled set.”
-Creative Loafing
-Creative Loafing
“Left me on the edge of my seat time and time again…Fear Takes Flight: American Stage Show Captures Story's Dark Essence…As the stage lights came on and the cast took their final bow to a standing ovation, a woman in the row before mine exclaimed, “What a wonderful evening at the theatre!” And, after mentally digesting everything the opening night of American Stage Theatre’s The Birds—directed by Todd Olson—had to offer, I couldn’t agree more. The cast was phenomenal. The set, eerie. And the storyline, captivating. A spectacular display of local talent and a fantastic start to American Stage’s new 2013-2014 season, The Birds was dark, moving, full of emotion and very appropriate for the time of year; an evening at the theatre you definitely won’t want to pass up. And luckily, you have until October 27 to catch it! Don’t miss out.”
-articulatesuncoast.com
-articulatesuncoast.com
Paula Vogel's A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS (2018)
“[A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS is] Fresh…this rich and affecting piece weaves several stories into a tapestry of history, holidays and heart…you may be surprised at its timeliness…I found myself particularly moved. We still seek that perfect holiday, we still struggle to embrace the humanity of our neighbors, and we still retain the capacity to enjoy wonder and the magic of the season. Director Todd Olson has done his homework and knows exactly why this kind of story needs to be told. In directing the show in-the-round, Olson has the actors almost dancing through the play, entering and exiting and shifting from one role to another fluidly and cinematically. Paula Vogel’s writing shows its brilliance. We find history, pathos and the trappings of Christmas delicately stitched together, forcing us to question the place of each in our own time.”
- Isaac Blevins, Guest blogger
- Isaac Blevins, Guest blogger
COSI FAN TUTTE
“Dazzling…surprisingly involving…directed by American Stage producing artistic director Todd Olson, and the cast benefited from his theatrical savvy by acting believably while letting their singing work its magic. Scott Cooper's set solved the Palladium's problematic space by placing the action on a platform, elevated at the back, that surrounded the orchestra. Not only was the structure attractive in a minimalistic sort of way, but it also served well the spying aspects of the story, as when Guglielmo watched in agony from the back as Ferrando and Fiordiligi made love on the staircase.”
-St. Petersburg Times
-St. Petersburg Times
CROWNS
“Everything works together here, from Todd Olson’s direction, which is layered with delicious comic asides, to the musical direction of Vince di Mura who reinvigorates gospel standards with complex and arresting new arrangements:The cast is a delight:everyone has their moment to shine:builds to a jubilant emotional payoff: Most people will find something transcendent in CROWNS.”
-Tampa Tribune
-Tampa Tribune
DINNER WITH FRIENDS
Todd Olson and Julie Rowe
“A smart, sophisticated production:Dinner With Friends' delivers a course on marriage:In his direction, Todd Olson, producing artistic director of American Stage, brings out the delicious ambiguity of this play, which won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for drama. He also delivers a spot-on performance as Gabe, the sweet, affable and gently ironic man who seems to embody the perfect husband.
-St. Petersburg Times
-St. Petersburg Times
DOUBT
Christine Decker and Eric B. Davis
"Stunning:wonderfully thought-provoking:expect to see a great show: Director Todd Olson deserves high praise for American Stage's production of Doubt, the final play of their 30th season. Every aspect of the show, from the lighted stained glass set pieces to the richness each actor brings to his role, supports American Stage's reputation as the top local professional theatre. Nothing about this show disappoints, and it easily outperforms many of the touring shows that come through town.”
-The Gabber
-The Gabber
Florida Orchestra teams up with Shakespeare (2014)
“The actors are among the best in the Tampa Bay area” -Tampa Bay Times
GEM OF THE OCEAN (2007)
“Every Facet Of 'Gem' Sparkles In Riveting Season Opener: At Wednesday night's preview performance, American Stage's artistic director, Todd Olson, largely responsible for the company's artistic vision and direction in recent years, had a seat at the back of the small theater. One can only imagine how proud he must have felt when the audience moved from rapt silence to standing ovation. Starting its new season with the Florida premiere of 'Gem of the Ocean,' American Stage proves what Aunt Ester observes: 'Ain't nuthin in God's creation that ain't good.'”
-Tampa Tribune
-Tampa Tribune
HYSTERIA: OR FRAGMENTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF AN OBSESSIONAL NEUROSIS
Cape Cod Online "Best of 2012"
“A triumph…certifiably entertaining…a spectacle well worth seeing…Winningly directed by Todd Olson, Hysteria is funny, sad, superficial, profound, scatterbrained and very wise. I’ve never witnessed anything else quite like it.”
-Creative Loafing
“Beautiful…haunting…filled with belly laughs and brain tickles…Olson has done a magnificent job as director with Johnson’s interesting, difficult, funny and provocative piece. Timing was just right throughout, staging was inventive and sure…You will find little pieces of this play creeping into your consciousness for days after you have seen it.”
-Barnstable Patriot
“A laugh-out-loud comic romp laced with dark interludes…dreams clash with reality. Fantasies face off, and the unconscious surfaces…Todd Olson's direction keeps the comedy moving in a fast and furious pace, which then
seamlessly slides into the dark side of Jessica's memories”
-Cape Cod Online
“A triumph…certifiably entertaining…a spectacle well worth seeing…Winningly directed by Todd Olson, Hysteria is funny, sad, superficial, profound, scatterbrained and very wise. I’ve never witnessed anything else quite like it.”
-Creative Loafing
“Beautiful…haunting…filled with belly laughs and brain tickles…Olson has done a magnificent job as director with Johnson’s interesting, difficult, funny and provocative piece. Timing was just right throughout, staging was inventive and sure…You will find little pieces of this play creeping into your consciousness for days after you have seen it.”
-Barnstable Patriot
“A laugh-out-loud comic romp laced with dark interludes…dreams clash with reality. Fantasies face off, and the unconscious surfaces…Todd Olson's direction keeps the comedy moving in a fast and furious pace, which then
seamlessly slides into the dark side of Jessica's memories”
-Cape Cod Online
HAMLET
“Olson’s stylistic vision yields innovative take on ‘Hamlet’: Olson has put an avant-garde spin on “Hamlet” without sacrificing the intensity of the tale or the beauty of the language. His product – call it “alternative Shakespeare” – offers further evidence of the Bard’s brilliance: Four centuries later, his work is still as relevant and user-friendly as it is incomparable and extraordinary:Olson has a firm grasp on this tale of grief-spawned rage and his revisionist approach is both functional and aesthetically appropriate. It’s Hamlet’s vision of his father’s ghost that sets him on the path of vengeance. The surreal scene in which the ghost confronts Hamlet is the stuff of nightmares: The ghost, projected on stage, seems to overwhelm the entire theater. Accompanied by chilling sound effects, it may be the most unsettling execution of this exchange ever rendered.
-Seminole Beacon Leader
-Seminole Beacon Leader
HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE
Denice Hicks and Steve Hauck
“Now and then a show comes along that’s so energizing and sublime that your passion for the theatre is rekindled in an instant. Tennessee Repertory Theatre’s miraculous new staging of Paula Vogel’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winner is one of those shows. With its alternately hilarious and bone-chilling script, innovative direction and design, and some of the riskiest and most thrilling performances of this or any other season, How I Learned to Drive will stand as a milestone, and perhaps a turning point, in the history of Nashville theatre. The best show of the year so far. Bravo."
-The Tennessean
-The Tennessean
I AM MY OWN WIFE
Mark Chambers
Notable theatre events of 2005: #1-I AM MY OWN WIFE: We are lucky to have American Stage for several reasons. 1. It does interesting, sometimes edgy plays, such as one about a German transvestite. 2. Todd Olson is a great director with a keen eye (and ear) for stage effects. 3. It showcases some of the area’s best actors and introduces us to important talent from beyond the region.”
-Tampa Tribune
-Tampa Tribune
I LEFT MY HEART (Milwaukee Repertory Theatre)
"[Bennett’s] spirit is now on stage here in Milwaukee, heard through these songs he has done so much to keep alive. That they're still being sung at all, in revues like this one, is itself a fitting salute to the man — and to his music.“
This is Bennett at his most intimate and accessible — the man who channels our passion."
-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
This is Bennett at his most intimate and accessible — the man who channels our passion."
-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
JACOB MARLEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
Michael Dayton and Julie Rowe
“Excellent acting, clever special effects… each [actor] does top-notch work…Todd Olson's kinetic staging emphasizes variety in styles of acting, the use of only four performers in 18 roles, and new sound and light effects virtually every few seconds. The acting styles include narration, conventional impersonation and pantomime; and the special effects include projections…various whirling lights to suggest dizzying flight, strange sounds, a little traditional Christmas music and the amplified voices of pivotal characters… This show is magical and manic enough to keep an 11-year-old fairly dazzled.”
–The Weekly Planet
–The Weekly Planet
JOHNNY SCHICCHI
"Wonderful…stunning…superb…If you're looking for a fine way to spend an hour, check it out. And get ready for near-perfection…the excellent news is the voices assembled for this production are consistently wonderful…outstanding…note-perfect."
-Creative Loafing
-Creative Loafing
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
Matthew Edwardson and Lara Tillotson
"Ravishing...joyous...glorious"
-St. Petersburg Times
-St. Petersburg Times
MIRACLE WORKER
Christian Whelan, Brandon Boyd, Julie Rowe, Anna Stone, and Glory Kissell
The Tennessean "Best of the Year", 2001
MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN
Loring Stevenson and Julie Rowe
Creative Loafing’s "Top 10 Plays of the Decade" (2000-2010)
“Director Todd Olson stages the show with admirable clarity. In fact, I think it’s fair to say now – after STONES IN HIS POCKETS and MOON – that Olson is a remarkably talented director and an important addition to Bay area theatre.”
-Weekly Planet
“Director Todd Olson stages the show with admirable clarity. In fact, I think it’s fair to say now – after STONES IN HIS POCKETS and MOON – that Olson is a remarkably talented director and an important addition to Bay area theatre.”
-Weekly Planet
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Creative Loafing “Best of the Bay” Award for “Top-10 Productions
of the Year”
of the Year”
THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP
Brian Webb Russell and Matthew McGee
2011 Jeff Norton Awards for “Best Lighting Design,” “Best Costume Design,” and “Best Set Design”
“Director Todd Olson pulls it all together for a production that never lags. He has just the right touch for this brand of wild humor and Victorian melodrama:fast action, wild acting and laughs galore: It's definitely a laugh-out-loud play delivered with the precision and charm one always expects from a full WHAT production.”
-Provincetown Banner
“Director Todd Olson pulls it all together for a production that never lags. He has just the right touch for this brand of wild humor and Victorian melodrama:fast action, wild acting and laughs galore: It's definitely a laugh-out-loud play delivered with the precision and charm one always expects from a full WHAT production.”
-Provincetown Banner
THE SEAFARER
Nowicki, Coppinger, Russell, Swan, and Garland
"Best of the Bay" Awards: Top-10 Productions of 2009
Tampa-based actor Richard Coppinger played epically disheveled Richard Harkin with something like genius, Christopher Swan was typically splendid as his deeply flawed brother Sharky, and Tom Nowicki, as the Devil come to win Sharky’s soul, was as cold and implacable as a County Clare winter. Brilliantly directed by Todd Olson, this American Stage production brought to wonderful life Conor McPherson’s unpredictable, fascinating tale of sin and redemption."
Tampa-based actor Richard Coppinger played epically disheveled Richard Harkin with something like genius, Christopher Swan was typically splendid as his deeply flawed brother Sharky, and Tom Nowicki, as the Devil come to win Sharky’s soul, was as cold and implacable as a County Clare winter. Brilliantly directed by Todd Olson, this American Stage production brought to wonderful life Conor McPherson’s unpredictable, fascinating tale of sin and redemption."
STONES IN HIS POCKETS
Christopher Swan and Brian Webb Russell
"So this production answers a couple of questions: Yes, Olson can really direct, and yes, his first programming choice is a fine one."
-Creative Loafing
-Creative Loafing
SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER
Chris Friday and Katherine Tanner
“Impressive… well told…grotesque…and a little weird… Directed by American Stage's artistic director, Todd Olson, this production is highly stylized with more than the usual attention given to set, lighting and sound design. The three production aspects function almost as one and together play a role nearly as significant as any of the performers.”
-St. Petersburg Times
-St. Petersburg Times
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Julie Rowe, Brian Shea, Michael Dayton, and Michael Bradley
“Act One of American Stage's Taming of the Shrew is so successful, it's possible not to notice the major pitfall that director Todd Olson has avoided along the way. That pitfall is sexism; namely, Shakespeare's assumption that a woman with fight in her is a shrew in need of taming… It's all to Olson's credit that we actually feel suspense even as we encounter this classic comedy for the umpteenth time. And to his credit also is the colorful world he creates around Kate and Petruchio - a world of deliberately mismatched costumes, acting styles, musical themes.”
–The Weekly Planet
–The Weekly Planet
WHEN THE WORLD WAS GREEN (A CHEF'S FABLE) (2013)
“American Stage — showing admirable courage — is presenting Shepard and Joseph Chaikin’s play When the World Was Green (A Chef’s Fable), and the experience is tantalizing, troubling and sublime…This is art of a rare kind. If you don’t mind your epiphany coming quietly, without fanfare, you might just find these 70 minutes unforgettable…Todd Olson directs the play with a stylized minimalism that both alienates and intrigues…it eventually chooses hope over despair, love over violence. Which is another reason to see it...if you’ll stay with it for an hour and 10 minutes, you’ll find a real reward at the end. That's precisely what I found, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
-Creative Loafing
-Creative Loafing
THIS WONDERFUL LIFE
Christopher Swan
“Terrific…fresh…To support Swan's acting tour de force, director Todd Olson pulled out all the stops in his production, reveling in the technical capacity of the company's new theater. His sound design is dazzling.”
-St. Petersburg Times
-St. Petersburg Times
THREE DAYS OF RAIN
Nevada Caldwell and Julie Rowe
“Ingenious…Vital…Smart…Hilarious…Madcap…Entertaining…very funny in a brittle way…[Julie Rowe] metamorphoses into a beauty…[Brian] Shea and especially [Scott] Lucy have a field day…One of director Todd Olson's trademarks is close attention to sound design. His adventurous ear is on display in the scene changes…many of which take place in the dark to eerie, grinding, electronic soundscapes…the offbeat contemporary selections contribute to the cinematic, tech-savvy atmosphere that is another Olson trademark.”
-St. Petersburg Times
-St. Petersburg Times
WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
Richard B. Watson, Betty-Jane Parks, Matt Huffman, and Christine Decker
Creative Loafing “top 10 performances of 2011”
2011 Jeff Norton Awards for "Best Director,"
"Best Actress," and "Best Actor"
“This show entered the realm of unparalleled excellence…an extraordinary production…Todd Olson has directed an intoxicating, crackling production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" With off-the-charts performances and Albee's particular gift of language…plenty of bite…”
-Tampa Tribune
“Flawlessly visualized…audiences will be transfixed…scathing…remarkable… the emotional equivalent of being tossed into an arena with two hungry lions…Albee’s masterpiece is as bleak and brutal as ever.” -Seminole Beacon Leader
“A first-rate production, directed by Todd Olson…thrilling…exhilarating and hilarious…priceless…awesome…masterful…brilliant acting…if you have only seen the movie, as fine as it is, you have not fully experienced Albee's play.” -St. Petersburg Times
"Vicious and vibrant…gripping, enthralling and (nervously) very funny…Decker and Watson are superb…Todd Olson's direction is shockingly good…I love the film, but there are colors here that the film doesn't include, and I'm glad to have witnessed them." -Creative Loafing
WIT (2000)
Tandy Cronyn
“The original Off-Broadway production of Wit, Margaret Edson's 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a brilliant professor's struggle with cancer, was no preparation for Tennessee Repertory Theatre's stunning new version starring Tandy Cronyn. The Rep's production is far superior: funnier, more originally conceived, more visually interesting and, in the end, considerably more moving than its predecessor in New York. Director Todd Olson, ratcheting up by several notches the already high level of his work at the Rep, has delivered an electrifying show that's both bold and subtle, highly entertaining and emotionally devastating. It all starts with Cronyn, who gives a flinty, luminous performance as Dr. Vivian Bearing. . .Her final transformation -- which I won't spoil by describing, except to say that it's among the most beautiful and searing images you will ever see on a stage. . .”
-The Tennessean
-The Tennessean
WIT (2013)
Creative Loafing “Best of the Bay” Award for “Best Play of 2013” - WIT
American Stage’s inspired production of Margaret Edson’s play reminded us poignantly that there’s no human virtue more important than kindness. As Dr. Vivian Bearing, an expert on John Donne’s Holy Sonnets, faced a punishing series of treatments for her ovarian cancer, she learned and we learned with her what matters most when everything is at stake. Todd Olson’s direction gave equal attention to heart and mind, and Kim Crow’s performance as Bearing was simply, heart-rendingly perfect.
"Brilliant…Wit is beyond words…a moving, harrowing, revelatory play about life. If great art is the art that combines beauty and depth, Wit is great art…and American Stage conveys its brilliance. Todd Olson's direction is impeccable...Should you see Wit in spite of the fearsomeness of its subject? Absolutely. This is drama that can change, or at least redirect, your life. If an inspired work of art can remind us of that fact, we need it in our repertoire. Few plays are as important. See it if you can. 5 stars out of 5."
-Creative Loafing
"Brilliant…Wit is beyond words…a moving, harrowing, revelatory play about life. If great art is the art that combines beauty and depth, Wit is great art…and American Stage conveys its brilliance. Todd Olson's direction is impeccable...Should you see Wit in spite of the fearsomeness of its subject? Absolutely. This is drama that can change, or at least redirect, your life. If an inspired work of art can remind us of that fact, we need it in our repertoire. Few plays are as important. See it if you can. 5 stars out of 5."
-Creative Loafing
