Anthony Jackman of Provincetown died at Cape Cod Hospital on Jan. 22, 2021. He was 70. The cause of death was pneumonia, said Phoebe Otis, his best friend.
Tony arrived in the U.S. in the 1980s from Hull, a town in Yorkshire, England. After having spent time in Spain and Los Angeles, he found his place in Provincetown. He worked as a waiter at the Town House and the Provincetown Inn. He also provided technical support for shows at the Post Office Café, the Crown & Anchor, and the Atlantic House.
“Tony just made everything work,” said Otis. “We could come up with an idea, and he could find a way to make it work.”
Tony’s pet project was an annual benefit he produced called Close to Home. For 10 years, he gave everybody relief from the long winter with this joyful celebration of the lives and talents of the year-rounders. The productions raised much-needed dollars for the AIDS Support Group and Helping Our Women.
Tony did many shows with the Provincetown Theater Company. His directing credits include The Lion in Winter, Edward II, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Lettice and Lovage, as well as full musical productions of Cabaret; Hair; Oliver!; and Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens.
“Tony was a remarkable man,” said longtime friend Michael Steers, who cited his “unending” knowledge of the craft of theater. “Though we shared a lot, very little is fit for print,” said Steers, adding that Tony deeply loved good theater, disdained laziness, and appreciated the wonders of cannabis.
Tony was also an accomplished graphic artist, known for his paintings on glass and beautiful, hand-painted boxes.
He will be much missed by his many friends.
