Recommendations and Evaluations:
"Todd Olson embodies all of the qualities that one looks for in a teaching fellow. His contagious enthusiasm for theater, along with his obvious expertise in the theater world and his concern with the progress of each student in his section exemplify his devotion to teaching and the theater arts. Todd is also a warm person who sparked my passing interest in theater to such a degree that he later welcomed me into a production that he was directing. I never in my life thought I would be on stage acting, but due largely to Todd's influence and encouragement, I participated in the Lowell House opera. Not only was this a wonderful growing experience for me (in an area in which I though I was stunted beyond all hope), but it was also a great deal of fun."
-Justyna Reczek, Harvard
"I really enjoyed taking Drama 1 this fall and although I am not a theatrical person I really felt Todd made everyone in the section feel like they were an integral part of the theater process. He consistently encouraged everyone to participate, and not only did he encourage that participation but you did so with an attitude that quickly put everyone at ease and made them feel like their ideas and opinions were essential and important to the entire class. Todd has truly been one of the few Teaching Fellows that I have had over the past 3 years who made me feel so comfortable in a subject matter that was so foreign to me. Also, I was very appreciative of his insightful comments on written work, and his willingness to help with corrections or whatever. Todd's accessibility definitely helped me a lot and the overall time and dedication he put in made this class a tremendous success in my mind."
-Alison E. McManus, Harvard
"Todd Olson was a supportive and insightful motivator and critic of my own work and the work of others in his section. He encouraged participation and created a comfortable atmosphere in which even the most nervous and incompetent of us government concentrator-types felt confident enough to explore creativity and performance artistry. The ten-minute play that I wrote and then witnessed on-stage was one of the best experiences of my senior year. Todd helped me transform my original draft of "Assisted Suicide" from a confusing and profane piece of work into something much more intriguing and entertaining.”
-Nicolas Chavez, Harvard
"Sometimes I'd leave class and want to run right back through the doors and say, 'Todd, I really enjoyed class and I'm sorry it's over!' We all could see the love for what you do in your eyes and it was exciting to us!"
-Danielle Bevis, student, Elon College
"Todd loves the theatre and he made the class fun, although he never made the road to a good grade easy. He was always concerned with class discussion and wanted us to do well in class. He was the best theatre professor I have ever had."
-Eric Thorsen, student, Albion College
"I was really pleased at how outstanding my professor was. He is one of the most knowledgeable professors I have ever had. He was interested in his job and his students. He knew my name by the second day, and has influenced me more than he realizes. I hope he comes back."
-Bill Cudney, student, Albion College
"In class, Professor Olson was outstanding. He often commented that he wished the class would ask more questions, but the only reason we didn't ask more questions was he was so prepared and was such an interesting story-teller/lecturer, we wanted to listen. His class was one of the most interesting classes I have had since I've been at Albion."
-Jeff Gandy, student, Albion College
"This class was the most fun and most informative I've taken in a long time. It made me want to go to class. Todd was an excellent teacher; very organized and very willing to teach. He had a great impact on his students. He's a very powerful story-teller and has a tremendous ability to teach theatre. He was an excellent, encouraging teacher who loved what he did."
-Shellie Mancuso, student, Albion College
"Todd Olson was one of the best instructors I have ever had. He was very down to earth and accessible. I hate to see him leave as I know how much he has to offer. Todd is probably the most 'human' of any professor I have had. If all classes were like this one, college would be the great thing it's supposed to be.
-Shannon Murray, student, Albion College
"Todd, you did a damn good job! You have a desire, or shall I say passion for the theatre and it shows in your teaching. I learned a lot and actually enjoyed a class for once!"
-Jennifer Simms, student, Albion College
"The things that I have learned in your introduction to Shakespeare class are too numerous to name them all. This is the one class I had no desire to skip and that I truly enjoyed attending. I hope my classes at Central Michigan University are as enjoyable as this one was. I want to thank you for making a subject that had the potential to be mind numbing and making it interesting and fun."
-Karen Razminas, student, WSCC
"Thank you so much, Todd, for the most wonderful class I have ever taken at WSCC! I'm more open-minded now, I think. When I took the class it was, quite frankly, for three humanities credits so I could graduate. Now that the term is done I'm finding that this will be the class I'll miss the most."
-Derek Wissner, student, WSCC
"Yet another outlook gained because of this class is a sincere appreciation and respect for you as an instructor. You have made my transition out of high school and into college life a good one. Because of your enthusiasm, sense of humor, and relation of topics, anyone can easily understand how Shakespeare class could be a really fun class to attend. I sincerely hope that I am fortunate enough to have instructors of your caliber in future courses."
-Gil Stansell III, student, WSCC
"I am very impressed by the level of theatre he has been able to create at Elon. Todd Olson seems to be a rare entity - a very talented director/actor who is also able to work with students and teach them a lot. When he talked to my English 200 class about Eugene O'Neill this spring, my students were as impressed as I was. He brought an intensity, depth, and perspective to our discussion that would not have been possible without him. One student who missed class came up to my office later and, before I said anything, told me 'Yeah, I heard I missed a great class!'
-Anne Cassebaum, Professor of English, Elon College
"I'm writing this letter to let the school know what it is losing. I took "Introduction to Theatre" this past fall under Professor Todd Olson. In the beginning I felt uncomfortable having a teacher my own age (23), but that was soon solved. Todd showed me and my fellow classmates that the theatre is alive and that as students we can enjoy it!"
-"Theatre Students to Miss Olson Next Fall," The Pendulum, Elon College
"I took your course because it was required, but I honestly have enjoyed taking it! It's nice to have a professor who talks to us and not at us. With Todd, you have a chance to get involved and to take part."
-Dana Ravell, student, Elon College
"I feel more confident about the playwrighting class than ever before. Ever since I wrote that course of study a year ago, I am more certain about how to help and inspire my students to write. The department is, of course, happy to have the curriculum, but I would never have been able to do it without the input that you brought to the class. Over the past two years you really did a lot for my kids. The experience they gained is something that they will carry around with them for a very long time."
-Paul Puglia, Instructor of English, Wingate High School, Brooklyn, NY
"From Todd I have learned the joy of writing. I was going to be a fashion designer, but Mr. P and Todd have inspired me to become a writer. I see my future as a writer clearly. I want to write a book about Liberia, West Africa."
-Karen Washington, 12th grade, Wingate HS
"I loved every moment of class. I learned how to be more open and how to express myself by writing even if I'm scared to talk. I will miss Todd a lot. It was great!"
-Cherry Ann Forteau, 11th grade, Wingate HS
"His approach to teaching was very refreshing. An enthusiastic teacher, very willing to help. He loved teaching us! He was great!"
-Amanda Mattlin, student, Albion College
"His class was very thought provoking, and I couldn't go through a class without stopping and thinking, unlike my other brain-dead classes. It was very organized yet flexible enough to facilitate conversation and interest. He was very helpful anytime I needed help. He was willing to listen. He made the class enjoyable."
-David Canine, student, Albion College
"He had a lot of great ideas about running the class; he was an innovative instructor. Albion needs more people with his kind of creative energy. As a freshman, I have enjoyed Todd's class the most. Todd is a great teacher and I feel I could come to him any time. Wherever I did, he would always help me."
-Paul Salamy, student, Albion College
"I think his class was great! I was a little hesitant but then I found it fun and interesting; it kept your mind working! Todd Olson is a great professor because he not only cares about teaching, but he is also caring and accessible for us as students. Thanks to Todd's teaching techniques, I learned a lot that I didn't even know I was in store for."
-Jennifer Wiley, student, Albion College
"Mr. Olson was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He was always available and answered questions so that I didn't feel like I was a pain. He was remarkable and it showed that he loved his work. We should have more teachers like him; I hope he will teaching classes here again."
-Maureen Hildebrandt, student, Albion College
"Professor Olson is a very pleasant, open-minded, interested and interesting, enthusiastic, prepared and understanding person. As you can tell I have a high opinion of him. He is a "fun" professor to have and is excited about teaching and himself learning from his students. I was always interested in what he had to say because he was so sincere about his work. I believe he is a valuable addition to our campus."
-Mike Lane, student, Albion College
"Before I took this class I had a negative attitude about Shakespeare because of past English teachers, whereas this class gave me a positive outlook and a new liking for Shakespeare. This class has been very enlightening for me. You are a talented man and a true educator. Please don't lose your touch; you have it perfected. Thanks for being a great instructor!"
-Amy Krusniak, student, WSCC
"I feel I need to let you know what happened to me in this last year and why this class was so important to me and why it has helped me look inside myself and keep going. In December of last year I lost my husband at 33 yrs. of age to a heart attack. I have two children, and some days I felt I could not get out of bed to come to school, but once I was in my Drama and Theatre class it was worth it. You are one of the best teachers I have ever had. There was always a smile to greet me and fun things to talk about and events to make me feel like there is something in my life to go on for. Thanks for your support in a very special way! I just wanted you to know you helped me a great deal!"
-Nancy Charlich-Smith, student, WSCC
From the University of South Florida:
“Love this class! Todd made it interesting and fun.”
“Professor Todd is amazing teacher and the university should really start adding courses that deal with theater. This is, again, a fantastic course and Professor Todd is amazing.”
“Best instructor I've ever had. Most interesting class, and very interactive. I learned a great deal.”
“Todd is a very interactive teacher, he goes above and beyond to teach his students about art, communication, and even the business aspects of art.”
“Mr. Olson’s class was always interesting and intellectually challenging…and fun.”
"Todd Olson embodies all of the qualities that one looks for in a teaching fellow. His contagious enthusiasm for theater, along with his obvious expertise in the theater world and his concern with the progress of each student in his section exemplify his devotion to teaching and the theater arts. Todd is also a warm person who sparked my passing interest in theater to such a degree that he later welcomed me into a production that he was directing. I never in my life thought I would be on stage acting, but due largely to Todd's influence and encouragement, I participated in the Lowell House opera. Not only was this a wonderful growing experience for me (in an area in which I though I was stunted beyond all hope), but it was also a great deal of fun."
-Justyna Reczek, Harvard
"I really enjoyed taking Drama 1 this fall and although I am not a theatrical person I really felt Todd made everyone in the section feel like they were an integral part of the theater process. He consistently encouraged everyone to participate, and not only did he encourage that participation but you did so with an attitude that quickly put everyone at ease and made them feel like their ideas and opinions were essential and important to the entire class. Todd has truly been one of the few Teaching Fellows that I have had over the past 3 years who made me feel so comfortable in a subject matter that was so foreign to me. Also, I was very appreciative of his insightful comments on written work, and his willingness to help with corrections or whatever. Todd's accessibility definitely helped me a lot and the overall time and dedication he put in made this class a tremendous success in my mind."
-Alison E. McManus, Harvard
"Todd Olson was a supportive and insightful motivator and critic of my own work and the work of others in his section. He encouraged participation and created a comfortable atmosphere in which even the most nervous and incompetent of us government concentrator-types felt confident enough to explore creativity and performance artistry. The ten-minute play that I wrote and then witnessed on-stage was one of the best experiences of my senior year. Todd helped me transform my original draft of "Assisted Suicide" from a confusing and profane piece of work into something much more intriguing and entertaining.”
-Nicolas Chavez, Harvard
"Sometimes I'd leave class and want to run right back through the doors and say, 'Todd, I really enjoyed class and I'm sorry it's over!' We all could see the love for what you do in your eyes and it was exciting to us!"
-Danielle Bevis, student, Elon College
"Todd loves the theatre and he made the class fun, although he never made the road to a good grade easy. He was always concerned with class discussion and wanted us to do well in class. He was the best theatre professor I have ever had."
-Eric Thorsen, student, Albion College
"I was really pleased at how outstanding my professor was. He is one of the most knowledgeable professors I have ever had. He was interested in his job and his students. He knew my name by the second day, and has influenced me more than he realizes. I hope he comes back."
-Bill Cudney, student, Albion College
"In class, Professor Olson was outstanding. He often commented that he wished the class would ask more questions, but the only reason we didn't ask more questions was he was so prepared and was such an interesting story-teller/lecturer, we wanted to listen. His class was one of the most interesting classes I have had since I've been at Albion."
-Jeff Gandy, student, Albion College
"This class was the most fun and most informative I've taken in a long time. It made me want to go to class. Todd was an excellent teacher; very organized and very willing to teach. He had a great impact on his students. He's a very powerful story-teller and has a tremendous ability to teach theatre. He was an excellent, encouraging teacher who loved what he did."
-Shellie Mancuso, student, Albion College
"Todd Olson was one of the best instructors I have ever had. He was very down to earth and accessible. I hate to see him leave as I know how much he has to offer. Todd is probably the most 'human' of any professor I have had. If all classes were like this one, college would be the great thing it's supposed to be.
-Shannon Murray, student, Albion College
"Todd, you did a damn good job! You have a desire, or shall I say passion for the theatre and it shows in your teaching. I learned a lot and actually enjoyed a class for once!"
-Jennifer Simms, student, Albion College
"The things that I have learned in your introduction to Shakespeare class are too numerous to name them all. This is the one class I had no desire to skip and that I truly enjoyed attending. I hope my classes at Central Michigan University are as enjoyable as this one was. I want to thank you for making a subject that had the potential to be mind numbing and making it interesting and fun."
-Karen Razminas, student, WSCC
"Thank you so much, Todd, for the most wonderful class I have ever taken at WSCC! I'm more open-minded now, I think. When I took the class it was, quite frankly, for three humanities credits so I could graduate. Now that the term is done I'm finding that this will be the class I'll miss the most."
-Derek Wissner, student, WSCC
"Yet another outlook gained because of this class is a sincere appreciation and respect for you as an instructor. You have made my transition out of high school and into college life a good one. Because of your enthusiasm, sense of humor, and relation of topics, anyone can easily understand how Shakespeare class could be a really fun class to attend. I sincerely hope that I am fortunate enough to have instructors of your caliber in future courses."
-Gil Stansell III, student, WSCC
"I am very impressed by the level of theatre he has been able to create at Elon. Todd Olson seems to be a rare entity - a very talented director/actor who is also able to work with students and teach them a lot. When he talked to my English 200 class about Eugene O'Neill this spring, my students were as impressed as I was. He brought an intensity, depth, and perspective to our discussion that would not have been possible without him. One student who missed class came up to my office later and, before I said anything, told me 'Yeah, I heard I missed a great class!'
-Anne Cassebaum, Professor of English, Elon College
"I'm writing this letter to let the school know what it is losing. I took "Introduction to Theatre" this past fall under Professor Todd Olson. In the beginning I felt uncomfortable having a teacher my own age (23), but that was soon solved. Todd showed me and my fellow classmates that the theatre is alive and that as students we can enjoy it!"
-"Theatre Students to Miss Olson Next Fall," The Pendulum, Elon College
"I took your course because it was required, but I honestly have enjoyed taking it! It's nice to have a professor who talks to us and not at us. With Todd, you have a chance to get involved and to take part."
-Dana Ravell, student, Elon College
"I feel more confident about the playwrighting class than ever before. Ever since I wrote that course of study a year ago, I am more certain about how to help and inspire my students to write. The department is, of course, happy to have the curriculum, but I would never have been able to do it without the input that you brought to the class. Over the past two years you really did a lot for my kids. The experience they gained is something that they will carry around with them for a very long time."
-Paul Puglia, Instructor of English, Wingate High School, Brooklyn, NY
"From Todd I have learned the joy of writing. I was going to be a fashion designer, but Mr. P and Todd have inspired me to become a writer. I see my future as a writer clearly. I want to write a book about Liberia, West Africa."
-Karen Washington, 12th grade, Wingate HS
"I loved every moment of class. I learned how to be more open and how to express myself by writing even if I'm scared to talk. I will miss Todd a lot. It was great!"
-Cherry Ann Forteau, 11th grade, Wingate HS
"His approach to teaching was very refreshing. An enthusiastic teacher, very willing to help. He loved teaching us! He was great!"
-Amanda Mattlin, student, Albion College
"His class was very thought provoking, and I couldn't go through a class without stopping and thinking, unlike my other brain-dead classes. It was very organized yet flexible enough to facilitate conversation and interest. He was very helpful anytime I needed help. He was willing to listen. He made the class enjoyable."
-David Canine, student, Albion College
"He had a lot of great ideas about running the class; he was an innovative instructor. Albion needs more people with his kind of creative energy. As a freshman, I have enjoyed Todd's class the most. Todd is a great teacher and I feel I could come to him any time. Wherever I did, he would always help me."
-Paul Salamy, student, Albion College
"I think his class was great! I was a little hesitant but then I found it fun and interesting; it kept your mind working! Todd Olson is a great professor because he not only cares about teaching, but he is also caring and accessible for us as students. Thanks to Todd's teaching techniques, I learned a lot that I didn't even know I was in store for."
-Jennifer Wiley, student, Albion College
"Mr. Olson was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He was always available and answered questions so that I didn't feel like I was a pain. He was remarkable and it showed that he loved his work. We should have more teachers like him; I hope he will teaching classes here again."
-Maureen Hildebrandt, student, Albion College
"Professor Olson is a very pleasant, open-minded, interested and interesting, enthusiastic, prepared and understanding person. As you can tell I have a high opinion of him. He is a "fun" professor to have and is excited about teaching and himself learning from his students. I was always interested in what he had to say because he was so sincere about his work. I believe he is a valuable addition to our campus."
-Mike Lane, student, Albion College
"Before I took this class I had a negative attitude about Shakespeare because of past English teachers, whereas this class gave me a positive outlook and a new liking for Shakespeare. This class has been very enlightening for me. You are a talented man and a true educator. Please don't lose your touch; you have it perfected. Thanks for being a great instructor!"
-Amy Krusniak, student, WSCC
"I feel I need to let you know what happened to me in this last year and why this class was so important to me and why it has helped me look inside myself and keep going. In December of last year I lost my husband at 33 yrs. of age to a heart attack. I have two children, and some days I felt I could not get out of bed to come to school, but once I was in my Drama and Theatre class it was worth it. You are one of the best teachers I have ever had. There was always a smile to greet me and fun things to talk about and events to make me feel like there is something in my life to go on for. Thanks for your support in a very special way! I just wanted you to know you helped me a great deal!"
-Nancy Charlich-Smith, student, WSCC
From the University of South Florida:
“Love this class! Todd made it interesting and fun.”
“Professor Todd is amazing teacher and the university should really start adding courses that deal with theater. This is, again, a fantastic course and Professor Todd is amazing.”
“Best instructor I've ever had. Most interesting class, and very interactive. I learned a great deal.”
“Todd is a very interactive teacher, he goes above and beyond to teach his students about art, communication, and even the business aspects of art.”
“Mr. Olson’s class was always interesting and intellectually challenging…and fun.”
