Mr. McCulloh was 69. In addition to being a critic, he wrote five plays, including The Boys of the Peggy August Club, seen in Chicago and in a California workshop. The Minneapolis native (whose name was Thomas) started writing theatre reviews in 1979, after working in the recording industry. His contributed to the L.A. Times 1989-2001, and was part of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle for more than 20 years, serving as president for a term. He was also a member of the American Theatre Critics Assn.
The L.A. Weekly characterized the late writer as "a critic with a soft spot for playwrights, and a hard spot for directors taking liberties with classics."