Olivia Swanson Haas, a former Stanford University student, is debuting a new play titled “Mimi & Jo” in San Francisco, drawing from her personal experience of a lesbian affair with a married dean over a decade ago. The 90-minute production, described by Haas as both a love story and a cautionary tale, will feature two performers and original music.
A Decade-Old Story Reimagined
The play revisits Haas's 2012 relationship with Julie Lythcott-Haims, who was then 44 and serving as Stanford's dean of freshman and undergraduate advising. The narrative follows two former lovers who reconnect ten years after their relationship concluded, reflecting on the complexities of attachment, creative partnership, and power dynamics. This theatrical work builds upon revelations Haas shared in a 2024 essay, “I Had an Affair With My College Dean,” which garnered over 100,000 readers.
In her essay, Haas detailed how a friendship with the university administrator evolved into a romantic relationship that she kept hidden from friends and family. She wrote that they met in various locations, including luxury hotels and a mountain cabin, characterizing it as her first and only same-sex relationship at the time. Haas identified herself as bisexual later on. She expressed the difficulty of maintaining the secrecy and noted that Lythcott-Haims had reviewed Stanford's policies to ensure their relationship did not violate university rules, though Haas still felt it could jeopardize the dean's career.
Haas also claimed Lythcott-Haims' husband, sculptor Dan Lythcott-Haims, was aware of the affair, even joking to his wife at one point, “Just don’t buy her a car,” according to reports. The relationship concluded when Haas confessed to her boyfriend and decided to remain with him. Her parents reacted with dismay, and her mother anonymously reported the relationship to Stanford, initiating discussions about manipulation and abuse of power.
Aftermath and Apologies
According to Haas, Lythcott-Haims reached out during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic to offer a private apology. The two eventually resumed limited contact, although Haas expressed uncertainty about the appropriateness of this ongoing connection.
Lythcott-Haims departed from Stanford in 2012. She subsequently became a New York Times-bestselling author focusing on parenting and youth development and was elected to the Palo Alto City Council in 2022. Following the publication of Haas's essay in 2024, then-Mayor Greer Stone and Councilwoman Vicki Veenker called for Lythcott-Haims to step down from committees related to Stanford, schools, and youth mental health. While some former city officials defended her, retired judge and former councilwoman LaDoris Cordell characterized the revelations as “very troubling.”
Lythcott-Haims acknowledged the inappropriateness of the relationship, stating, “While I was not in a position of authority over her grades or academic status at the university, being in a relationship with a student was inappropriate when it happened 13 years ago, and it would be inappropriate now.” She also extended apologies to her family and former colleagues. In May, Lythcott-Haims announced she would not seek re-election to the city council, intending to concentrate on her work as an author and public speaker.
Haas's play development gained momentum after winning a Stanford alumni scriptwriting competition in 2024. She has been fundraising for the production, aiming to raise $35,000 and has already secured over $6,100.