JOHN OLIVE's plays include STANDING ON MY KNEES, MINNESOTA MOON, THE VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE, EVELYN AND THE POLKA KING, KILLERS, GOD FIRE, WATER BABIES, and many others. Producing theaters include Manhattan Theatre Club, Old Globe, Steppenwolf, South Coast Rep, Wisdom Bridge, Actors Theater of Louisville, Guthrie, A Contemporary Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, many others. THE VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE has received hundreds of productions, and ditto MINNESOTA MOON. John's THE SUMMER MOON was developed at Sundance, won a Kennedy Center Award For Drama, and went on to productions at ACT/Seattle and South Coast Rep. John's work has been published by Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service and Playscripts, Inc.

Lately John has written a lot of Theatre For Young Audiences: a new play (THE MAGIC BICYCLE) recently premiered at First Stage Milwaukee. His adaptation of SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL has received dozens of productions, at such theaters as Seattle Childrens, South Coast Rep, Oregon Childrens, Arden, etc. JASON & THE GOLDEN FLEECE played at Seattle Childrens, People's Lights & Theatre Co., Nashville Childrens, etc. Other TYA titles include: PHARAOH SERKET AND THE LOST STONE OF FIRE, THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE, JOHNNY TREMAIN, and others. Many of these plays are available through Plays For Young Audiences, a joint project of Minneapolis and Seattle Childrens Theaters.

John writes young adult fiction (Smartass, Deep River). His book Tell Me A Story In The Dark (a guide to creating magical bedtime stories) will shortly by published by Familius, Inc. John writes theater criticism and essays for a well-regarded online site, HowWasTheShow.com. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife Mary and their son Michael. For more information, please visit johnolive.net.