 Olson wrote, co-wrote or directed a number of off-beat stage plays in Los Angeles, including "The Head", "The Idiots", "I Never Knew My Father", "1958", "Torn", "The Ron Lynch Show", "The Bob Rubin Experience" and "Cold Black Heart" at various theaters, including the Comedy Central Stage, the HBO Theater and the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood.Olson was also producer of Penn & Teller's FX variety series "Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular".With the help of his literary agent Annette Van Duren, Olson sold comedy screenplays to DreamWorks, United Artists, Touchstone Pictures, and Warner Bros.