Do you like accepting free things? Do you enjoy the works of C.S. Lewis? Do you believe in supporting the arts?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, have we got a show for you! On July 1st, Templeton is hosting Philadelphia-based actor, Tony Lawton, to perform his one-man stage adaptation of The Great Divorce. This performance is in conjunction with our Summer Scholars course, Divorcing the Devil: The Moral Vision of C.S. Lewis, taught by Templeton faculty member Dr. Steven Boyer.
For over 30 years, Tony Lawton has dedicated his life to the vocation of theatre (and more recently, to baking pies). Lawton developed two of C.S. Lewis’ works into theatrical productions: The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters.
Lawton’s website describes the play thusly: “The play is the story of Clive, who, along with a motley crew of malcontents, takes a bus ride from hell to heaven. They are offered a chance to stay in heaven forever if they like, but the choice between joy and miserable loneliness proves to be much harder than they would have guessed. The piece is a feast of rich language, profound psychological insight, and humor.”
Lawton graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1989. While attending, he was in the Program of Liberal Studies, a program based on Mortimer Adler's Great Books model. His educational background overlaps well with the Templeton Honors College. He has taught acting at multiple colleges and universities, including Eastern. A longtime friend of the College, Lawton has performed The Great Divorce before in 2019.
We are thrilled to welcome back Tony Lawton this summer!
The performance will be on Tuesday July 1st, at 7PM in McInnis Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public, so bring your friends along for an evening of theatre and fun. There will also be a Q&A session after the performance.