“Just as most of us prefer to watch a trapeze artist work without a net, we like to be absolutely sure that a virtuoso is giving us our money's worth, and a seemingly effortless performance, no matter how spectacular it may be, deprives us of that slightly sadistic thrill.”

American author, critic, biographer, playwright, stage director, and librettist

Terrance Alan Teachout was an American author, critic, biographer, playwright, stage director, and librettist. He wrote widely about the arts and worked across several forms, including criticism, biography, theatre, and opera. Teachout is known for his work as a cultural critic and writer, with a career that ranged from books and essays to plays and stage work. His writing and creative work often reflected close attention to performance and the arts.