Interview: Billy Mitchell Talks VILLAIN: DEBLANKS

Billy Mitchell's hilarious VILLAIN: DEBLANKS makes a triumphant New York City return tonight at Feinstein's/54 Below. Tonight's sold out show features Kathleen Turner, Morena Baccarin, Lesli Margherita, Michael Potts, Maulik Pancholy, and Micah Stock and will benefit New York Civil Liberties Union. The Mad Libs meets whodunnit laugh riot will have an encore performance on May 31 at Feinstein's/54 Below, also benefiting New York Civil Liberties Union but with a different cast. Then, in September, the show goes international with a TheatreMAD benefit in London. With so much happening in the world of VILLAIN: DEBLANKS, we caught up with Billy Mitchell to talk about the rib tickling treat.

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Where did the idea for VILLAIN: DEBLANKS come from?

Billy Mitchell: I was writing a TYA [Theater for Young Audience] series, and I'm a big word nerd. I think language skills are very important, and I thought "Hey, wouldn't it be fun to do a Mad Lib style play?"

The original idea was to do this sort of fully-staged, Indiana Jones thing with a big, white dry erase board on one side of the stage. I realized that's kind of mayhem. So, it sort of evolved into more of a whodunnit and more of a reading style thing. Then, we did it for kids, and the kids loved it.

The cast was all adults. We rehearsed it and decided that we would be a little naughty in rehearsal. That was hilarious. Then I thought, "Hey, this is sort of a late night show." From there it evolved into these benefits that are a sort of late night adult entertainment.

Since every VILLAIN: DEBLANKS is a benefit, how do you decide what organizations you are going to donate the proceeds to?

Billy Mitchell: It started with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS because I have a personal relationship with them through some freelance work I've done with them. They were the first organization that I approached. We did a handful of benefits just for them.

Some people were telling me that they liked the show and we should take it to L.A. I did a little bit of legwork, and I decided I would shake things up and give it a shot for the ASPCA. When I reached out to Bruce Vilanch, he said he would absolutely love to do it and that he loves the puppies. So, the first one we did in L.A. was for the ASPCA.

The next one in L.A. was for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, and the third one in L.A. was for The Michael J. Fox Foundation because I also have a personal connection with that foundation through an actress that I worked with many years ago.

Here, in New York, we've done Broadway Cares a handful of times, we've done Broadway Barks. We did the ASPCA. And, I feel like I'm forgetting one. In Maine, we did the Big Brothers Big Sisters. Out at Buck's County Playhouse, in Pennsylvania, we did a split charity for Broadway Cares and the Buck's County Education Department.

I'm sure casting this is pretty fun. What is your casting process. How do you make the magic happen?

Billy Mitchell: First, it all depends on where the event is. The casting process is basically me throwing the widest, largest net I have the stamina to throw. I email anywhere between eight and a hundred people to get six individuals available on any given evening.

A lot of time their responses are literally based on availability because people understand the show is fun, it's a minimal commitment, and it's always a benefit. That, I think, is attractive to them because there's no rehearsals involved. You don't have to show up with a book, and there isn't a pianist. They simply show up, I give them the script, and we do a little pep talk about how it all works. We do a Q & A, and then we do it!

So, casting is usually availability. Sometimes it is based on the organization we are benefiting. This particular one, because it's the ACLU, I kind of aimed outside of the Broadway world a little bit and approached people in the larger entertainment field. I had some decent luck, which I am very excited about.

Across the multiple performances of VILLAIN DE BLANKS, is there a favorite moment you've had?

Billy Mitchell: There's so many favorite moments. In general, there's a certain serendipity that will happen where people don't know the context of the words they're giving, so every now and then something really amazing will happen. It'll just make a phrase, and it will be coupled with the perfect actor who's reading ahead just enough to realize "Oh, hell yes, I have this amazing thing coming up that the audience sort of put in my mouth," and they really deliver it.

One that sticks out from the very first New York show was Lesli Margherita, who basically nailed every single line of the whole script. One of the things was that the victim had been showing her the maps of his tin mines in Djibouti, that was sort of amazing.

Also, I think it was Angela Robinson, had some combination of urine and surfing that made Brenda Braxton laugh so hard that she spit her red wine out. We had to stop the show, get her some new wine because that was the most important thing, clean up her stand, and wipe down the script because it looked like a murder scene.

Every show has a favorite moment, so it's hard to pick just one moment over the past couple of years.

This show benefiting the ACLU at Feinstein's/54 Below is completely sold out, so when can audiences see the next VILLAIN: DEBLANKS?

Billy Mitchell: The next one on the books in New York is May 31. We're calling it an encore because it will also benefit the ACLU. It will not be the same cast. It will be a different cast.

We also have one coming up in London on September 3. It will be a benefit for the Make A Difference Trust, which is similar to Broadway Cares. Their healthcare is very different there, so they have different needs. But, it's a similar organization in that it's a theater-driven, community-based group. I'm super excited for that because it will be the furthest, non-domestic production, presentation, or whatever you want to call it.

I have one last question before we go. If you could have one person do VILLAIN: DEBLANKS who would it be?

Billy Mitchell: That's such a difficult question to answer! There are so many people I would love to have in the show. But my top three, as of this moment, would be Lily Tomlin, Brooke Shields, and Alan Cumming.

For more information about VILLAIN: DEBLANKS please visit http://www.villaindeblanks.com. You can also follow the show on Facebook and Twitter. Snap up tickets to the May 31 performance at Feinstein's/54 Below by visiting https://54below.com.