Betty Gilpin on Her Broadway Debut in Oh, Mary!: 'I'm Giving 100 Percent'
(Photo by Emilio Madrid for Broadway.com)
In January, Betty Gilpin burst onto the stage of Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, teeth bared like a bitch in heat, all done up in bratty curls and practically drowning in an excessively frilly 19th-century gown.
Quite a way to make a Broadway debut.
Gilpin, currently inhabiting the fantastically deranged role of Mary Todd Lincoln in Cole Escola's outrageous comedy Oh, Mary!, recently spoke with Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek for The Broadway Show.
Check out highlights from the conversation and the full video below.
On the character of Mary Todd
"A lot of what drew me to Cole's comedy is that they straddle this line of using their intellect and irony and sort of arch, arms-folded commentary on what's ridiculous, but also a sincere love letter to the person they're roasting. That to me is so much of what camp is: both kind of being too smart for something and rolling your eyes and saying, isn't this so ridiculous? And also being like, but I actually love it so much.
(Photo by Emilio Madrid for Broadway.com)
Cole has written into the role both a kind of ridicule and love of Mary Todd. Isn't she the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen who should be chained in a dungeon? And isn't she magnificent? Let's give her a spotlight and a press tour and everything she deserves, and a crown and megaphone."
On studiously avoiding knowing too much
"I'm going to treat myself to a biography the day after I finish performances. Cole wanted me to go in with an empty brain. Usually, I nerd out on homework, but this time, my research was watching old movies Cole loved—Gone With the Wind, The Shop Around the Corner—and discussing our favorite Hollywood dames. We both love Barbara Stanwyck. Our shared, slightly demented dramaturgy meant appreciating what’s profoundly stupid and wonderful about old Hollywood and theater."
"It feels like I’m on helium at my own wedding on Mount Olympus while also doing a Barry’s Bootcamp class with the flu." –Betty Gilpin
On falling in love with the theater
"First and foremost, there were candies backstage, and all the grownups were being so silly together. It was the culture that drew me in—all the funniest people in the world stuck together for a 10-out-of-12 day, hanging around in ridiculous costumes. Then I realized—oh, wow—they go on stage and become someone else. Seeing my parents access different versions of themselves in productions made me understand that their lives could have gone in so many directions. That was intoxicating."
On her parents seeing Oh, Mary!
"I wondered if my parents would clutch their pearls at some of it, but they loved every second. At first, I debated whether I wanted to know when they were coming, but at the last second, I said, 'Just tell me.' Thank God I did. From lights up, I saw my mom in the fourth row, screaming the entire time. They had the time of their lives."
On Cole Escola's "foolproof" writing
"The most frustrating jobs are the ones where you feel like you’re only getting to do five percent of what you want. With this, I’m giving 100 percent—for better or worse. It feels like I’m on helium at my own wedding on Mount Olympus while also doing a Barry’s Bootcamp class with the flu. Cole has written an expertly boned play—you just need to say the words fast, make bold choices and the engine of the play takes care of the rest. It’s pretty foolproof."
On Broadway dreams coming true
"It’s so much fun throwing that much stupidity, joy and passion out into the void every night. My friend Gayle Rankin—who was Sally Bowles in Cabaret—came to see the show, and we just sobbed together. It feels like the year of our big Broadway chance, the fulfillment of a childhood dream. Being an actor means that sometimes it’s just a job. But this? I can’t believe I get to do this show. It’s so crazy. It’s so wonderful."
