"I don't know of any American playwrights who ear the bulk of their living writing plays," pens Wall Street Journal critic and Missouri native, Terry Teachout. "Many of the older ones teach, while a growing number of younger ones write for series TV." So Teachout asks the question: "Why is anybody still writing plays? Theater, after all, is no longer a central part of the American cultural conversation, the way it was when Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams walked the earth." Teachout continues: "So if you can't make any money writing for the stage, why bother? Putting aside the obvious attraction of being able to make up your own characters, I can think of one excellent reason: You meet the nicest people." And maybe that's enough. Today Steve Kraske welcomes back Terry Teachout to discuss the future of the American theater, and talk about the art of theater criticism. Teachout's most recent book is Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong, and he's written the play "Satchmo at the Waldorf."
more at Up to Date (mp3 link)
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