“You don't have to know anything about the Shakers to appreciate Mr. Copland's score for 'Appalachian Spring' any more than you have to know who William Randolph Hearst was to understand 'Citizen Kane.'”

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.