Ready for Anything, Bustillos Preps for Guild Hall

[caption id="attachment_53473" align="alignnone" width="800"] Andy Bustillos and his troupe will perform at Guild Hall on sass, July 28.[/caption]

By Dawn Watson

Agreement is a guiding force if one wants to get anywhere with improvisational acting. Saying “yes” to any and all situations, regardless of whether or not they are practical or even feasible, is the first rule that actors learn when they take a class in the art of ad-libbing. And in order to become a true improv pro, it doesn’t hurt to be able to think on one’s feet and make split-second decisions either.

On the stage and in real life, Andy Bustillos’s training has definitely paid off. The Upright Citizens Brigade actor—you might have seen him in commercials for Taco Bell, Comcast or Trojan Condoms, or on this past season of HBO’s “Girls”—will appear with members of his troupe at Guild Hall in East Hampton on Thursday, July 28.

He puts his skills to the test every day. Whether juggling interviews and auditions or preparing for his next show, the actor knows he’s got to be ready for anything. And he never knows when an opportunity to hone his skills might come along.

Take the time leading up to his upcoming gig at Guild Hall for example. In the weeks leading up to his big Hamptons debut with the legendary improv troupe, the trained thespian had to demonstrate his quick-thinking abilities during a last-minute audition for Fed Ex. He and his fellow thespians didn’t have much time to prepare; they were only told that they’d be passive aggressive office workers launching an e-commerce site for their business.

It was a good experience, he says. Especially as many of the people auditioning were fellow Upright Citizens Brigade members. Having improvisational training, he adds, is a definite advantage.

“Improv or comedy chops come in helpful,” he says. “I guess that’s why a lot of the people I see during auditions tend to be UCB people.”

The audition went well, he added, noting that his experience with the troupe—which spawned the careers of its founders Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Amy Poehler, Adam McKay, Rick Roman and Horatio Sanz when they started out in Chicago in 1990—has proved invaluable.

Those same improv chops that have helped him with his career thus far will definitely be needed at Guild Hall. Leading up to the show, Mr. Bustillo knows that he will be onstage with three other UCB performers, two he’s worked with in the past and the third he hasn’t met yet, but the four will go into their act without any rehearsal, as par usual for an Upright show.

None of the performers are yet familiar with the Hamptons social terrain. They also won’t know who will be pulled out of the audience to participate in the 90-minute show. Mr. Bustillo says that he doesn’t even know where he’ll be staying once he’s off the stage. But he’s said “yes” to the gig and says he’s hopefully optimistic that it will go smoothly.

It should, if the show follows UCB precedent of engaging the audience with off-the-cuff fun and split-second reactions, he says. The key to improv humor, adds Mr. Bustillo, is to react quickly but honestly to every situation.

“Don’t try to be too funny. That often doesn’t land,” he says.

The only thing that won’t be completely impromptu is the format of the 90-minute performance at Guild Hall, reports the actor. It will start with a chat with the audience as the troupe members gather information about the area. Then they will pull up an audience member and interview them (best to not be too eager if you want to be chosen, says Mr. Bustillo). Afterward, the actors complete the first half of the show based on what they’ve learned. The remaining 45 minutes, he says, is more participatory with the audience as a whole.

Nobody ever knows what’s going to happen at a UCB performance, he says. Even for the performers, what spontaneously occurs at the show is always the best part.

“Since it’s so specific to where we are and who the audience is, we try to hit the tone of the place we’re in,” he says. “I can’t wait to see what the Hamptons has to offer.”

The Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company will perform an Improv Comedy Show at Guild Hall in East Hampton on Thursday, July 28, at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $22 to $45. For additional information and reservations, visit www.guildhall.org.