Welcome to Donald Steven Olson's Website
"Donald steven Olson is a remarkably good writer..."
--Albert Read, Daily Telegraph, London
Following its 2024 Off-Broadway run, a new production of Donald’s““play with music” THE CHRISTINE JORGENSEN SHOW will open October 26, 2025 at The Cleveland Playhouse Outcalt Theatre and run through November 16. Filled with original songs, dance and music, this “heartfelt and hilariouis'show was inspired by the true story of legendary icon Christine Jorgensen, one of the most famous nightclub performers in 1950s America . For tickets and information, visit www.clevelandplayhouse..com.
Donald talks about The Christine Jorgensen Show and The Cleveland Play House in this one-minute clip: https://www.facebook.com/ClevelandPlayHouse/videos/2015589835961384
View digital program for 2024 Off-Broadway production of THE CHRISTINE JORGENSEN SHOW: https://here.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CJS_digprogram_d4.pdf
Listen to cabaret star Mark Nadler, sing two songs from THE CHRISTINE JORGENSEN SHOW.
New eBook editions of Donald’s novels…(click on cover to order)
“…enthralling…” - Francis King, The Spectator”
Bitter, humorous and sly, the confessions beguile and shock the reader by turns.” - Marie Claire
“…a Wonderland of terrifying fun.”
- Quentin Crisp
“Gripping…” - Lambda Book Report
”…a riveting novel with an unforgettable cast of characters.” - Quentin Crisp
A spellbinding collection of supernatural tales to haunt your imagination…
Read Donald’s essay on writing The Confessions of Aubrey Beardsley in The Gay & Lesbian Review: https://glreview.org/article/the-fall-of-aubrey-beardsley/
Donald Steven Olson is a playwright, novelist and travel and garden writer. Donald’s plays, including The Christine Jorgensen Show, Beardsley and the award-winning Oscar & Walt, have been produced in Europe and the U.S. His groudbreakingnovels The Confessions of Aubrey Beardsley, The Secrets of Mabel Eastlake, and Queer Corners, and his short-story collection, The Gravedigger’s Daughter - Ghost Stories & Other Otherworldly Tales, are available in new E-book editions. Donald is also the author of the internationally published rom-com My Three Husbands, written as Swan Adamson. His travel stories have appeared in The New York Times and he has written dozens of guidebooks to destinations in England, Europe and the Pacific Northwest as we;; as two noted guidebooks to West Coast gardens. To learn more about Donald’s wide-ranging career, or to contact him, click on the tabs in the pull-down menu above.
Click on the link to watch Kinetic Theatre’s acclaimed production of Donald’s play Oscar & Walt (90 minutes).
Click here to watch Donald’s Zoom presentation My Gotham Garden - The Joys and Challenges of Creating a Manhattan Garden.
Watch a virtual reading of Donald’s new play presented by Transformation Theatre. https://youtu.be/kFZ9ZvSjEWo
Watch PlayZoomers production of Oscar & Walt livestreamed from Indiana University Bloomington.