Teachout, WSJ drama critic and columnist, dies at 65

Terry Teachout, the longtime drama critic and cultural columnist for The Wall Street Journal, died Thursday at the age of 65.

An editorial board story states, “His prose was always lively and accessible, and in his judgments he was clear-eyed, uninterested in conventional wisdom, and committed to assessing each production on its merits. He believed in upholding standards of artistic quality and execution, regardless of the fashions of the times.

“Terry made a particular mark by exploring the American theater beyond Broadway. He was a tireless champion of regional theater, reviewing more productions than any other critic. The Journal is a national newspaper, and Terry told readers about actors and producers worth celebrating and seeing around the country.

“Terry was an artist in his own right, as an opera librettist and playwright. He wrote biographies of H.L. Mencken, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and his one-actor play about Armstrong ran in an off-Broadway theater to good reviews.”

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