Richard Olson '65
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Richard Olson ‘65
Director, Performance Artist, Playwright, Poet, Writer
Me in 50 words or less:
I've always been a writer in one form or another, but I also direct and perform.
Pronouns:
He/him/his
Department: English
Student Group(s): Theatre Intime
Bio
Richard Olson, a graduate of Princeton and the Yale School of Drama, taught a theater workshop at Harvard and has written, directed and acted in numerous productions throughout his career. In 2010 he wrote the libretto for and directed Brian Schober’s chamber opera, "Dance of the Stones," at Theatre80 in the East Village. From 2012 to 2014 he directed Benjamin Britten’s set of chamber operas, A Trilogy for Church Performance: "Curlew River," "The Prodigal Son," and "The Burning Fiery Furnace" at Church of the Transfiguration. He and composer Victor Kioulaphides also collaborated on "The Gilded Cage," an opera performed there in 2001, and "The Vision of Perpetua" (about Phillis Wheatley), performed at University Settlement in 2004. Mr. Olson also performs improvised pieces, which combine movement with sounds and words. Recently he wrote “Life Sentences,” literally 366 sentences on subjects from the personal to the philosophical, and is now writing a play about a philosophy class on Zoom.
Artist Statement
Art is a piece of consciousness made perceptible.
I’d like to share my expertise with:
Alumni
Students
I would like to:
Share advice via phone or coffee chat