5 QUESTIONS FOR ACTOR and PIE MAKER –
ANTHONY LAWTON

by Le Anne Lindsay, Editor

Since COVID-19 began our house is just a dizzying revolving door of deliveries, mostly ordered by my sister, so it came as no surprise when last week she DM’d me a link to choose a pie to be delivered.  But much to my surprise the pie maker turned out to be a perfect subject for Tinsel & Tine and particularly for our 5 Question Series for Actors.

Anthony Lawton is a Philly-based actor/thespian who acquired his M.F.A in Acting from Temple University and went on to start his own theater company, the Mirror Theatre, which performs solo and small-cast plays; for which he earned rave reviews “Best One-Man Theatre” from audiences and critics for such productions as Shel Silverstein’s The Devil and Billy Markham, C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters.

He was awarded an Independence Foundation grant to develop his first original play, The Foocy. And one to develop his first musical, an adaptation of George MacDonald’s The Light Princess, which the Arden produced in 2016.  

Thus far, Anthony has earned a total of 13 Barrymore Award Nominations and 1 Win!

In terms of favorite acting roles: George in Of Mice and Men (Walnut St. Theatre); Gideon in Athol Fugard’s Playland (Wilma Theater); Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet (Arden Theatre), Coleman in The Lonesome West, Feste in Twelfth Night, and Storyteller in A Christmas Carol (Lantern Theater); the Fire Chief in the 24-Hour Bald Soprano (Brat Productions); Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale, Cromwell in A Man for All Seasons, and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival).

Now that you have a little background, let’s move on to…

5 QUESTIONS FOR ANTHONY LAWTON

T&T: Let’s Talk Pies! The Pandemic hit every sector of our economy, but none more than the Arts. So, I get as an actor, you, like most, need a side hustle, but why and when did you decide to start selling pies on Facebook? And tell us more about the selections?

Anthony Lawton: I selected pies as a side-hustle in a pretty organic way; I was in the habit of bringing pies into green rooms for many years — opening nights, closing nights, that sort of thing. I often put produce I had grown — like strawberries, pumpkins, rhubarb, and sweet potatoes — into the pies. They were a hit. I did sell some, going back a few years, here and there, to people who requested them, but not in a systematic or regular way.

When the pandemic was declared in March, I lost the gig I was doing then, plus the next 2. I soon realized I’ll probably lose the 3 gigs I had lined up for next season. There probably won’t be theatre again till fall 2021. When I saw the good unemployment compensation was going to dry up at the end of July, I thought: I better get a job.

I sold pies for a week, then got a job selling solar panels door to door. That job was the worst ever. All I kept thinking as I knocked on those doors was, “Boy, I’d rather be making pies.” I quit that job, put up an ad on Facebook, and have been running steady ever since July 4. I make and deliver between 30 and 40 pies a week. I love working without a boss, and I love working alone. It’s peaceful and meditative to put pies together while listening to NPR (though the deluge of bad news gets a little oppressive at times, and I have to switch off). I take little breaks to watch The Simpsons and superhero movies.

I keep waiting for demand to trail off, but it’s been 4 weeks, and demand remains steady. Fingers crossed it’ll keep up.

PIE MENU

 

Apple Pecan with Caramel – We bought this one – 4 Tines!

 

Apple

Cherry

Pecan

Lemon Meringue

Peanut Butter

Pumpkin

Coconut Cream

Strawberry Rhubarb

Sweet Potato

Peach

Every conceivable berry variety

 

Order Tony Lawton Pies

T&T: Do you have any superstitions or rituals before an audition?

AL: Sorry to give you a boring answer here: I’m not very superstitious.
      No pre-audition rituals come to mind.

T&T: If you had the choice to be cast in the remake of any popular movie, what would it be?  (answer can be an Indie, just nothing too obscure) & would you want to change anything about that character?

AL: My favorite movie is Miller’s Crossing, by the Coen brothers. I’m wrong for the role, but I’d kill to play Tom Reagan, Gabriel Byrne’s role, just for the pleasure of being in those beautifully shot scenes with that glorious cast and that crackling dialogue.

T&T: Do you have any foodie or music (or both) related moments regarding a role, preparing for a role or after wrapping production?

AL: When we did Sweeney Todd at the Arden in ’05 (I think), they used vegan “meat pies” for the “God That’s Good” sequence. They had potatoes and peas and some fantastic spices. Arden paid some company to make them. They were super, super good. I’d scarf mine during the scene, then there’d be a bunch of leftovers afterwards, and I’d eat a bunch of those, too. I bet I put on 10 pounds during that show 😋

T&T: Give a shout out to those on your team who have been in your corner while you hit both highs and lows in your profession.

AL: My steadiest companion and stalwart during the last 14 years of my career has been my girlfriend, Murph. Matt Pfeiffer and Scott Greer have also been my frequent collaborators and besties.

For more on Anthony Lawton be sure to check out his website: anthonylawtonactor.com