Joe Gulla's GAY.PORN.MAFIA Wins Audience Award At 2018 Downtown Urban Arts Festival

The Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF) has accorded playwright Joe Gulla's "GAY.PORN.MAFIA" with their 2018 "Audience Award".

Presented this past April at Chelsea's New York Live Arts Theater, "GAY.PORN.MAFIA" sold out 30 minutes after tickets went on sale. Directed by Brian Rardin, the cast featured: Lou Liberatore (Dr. Rifkin/Don), Todd Butera (Jonah/Ron), Andrea Cordaro (Frima/Whitney), Jeff Riberdy (Fr. Gerard/Shep), Aaron Dalla Villa (Kyle/Quinn), Joe Gulla (Redmond/Gino) and Emily Dinova (Geraldine/Shyla).

The playwright states, "This award is particularly sweet! It marks the third year in a row that my work has taken home the DUAF "Audience Award"... a Downtown Urban Arts Festival Award 'trifecta' of sorts! Ha!" It's as humbling and it is satisfying! I am really proud!"

"The cast was phenomenal. Truly stellar talent! I promised laughs, smiles and some tears! This cast freakin' delivered... in abundance! It delights me to know that our audience appreciated them as much as I did!"

"Tickets sold out super fast for this DUAF performance! There remains a huge demand! Far be it from me to keep GAY.PORN.MAFIA from the masses. Ha! So, yeah, we'll back real soon with our "Due To Popular Demand" Encore! A venue is being secured as we speak!"

"GAY.PORN.MAFIA" is a collection of Gulla's (internationally and) nationally-produced, award-winning short comedies: "Gayfever", "Fall and Rise", "Reel Wood", "Knock Off!" and "Sleeping With The Fish"!

Bob Criso of "Hi Drama" said, "The show highlights various sharply-observed characters from the playwright's experience including a closeted gay priest, a closeted family physician treating a young man for "gay hay fever," a macho Mafia thug you would never suspect was gay, a ditsy Italian-American secretary with big hair and no apparent brains working at a gay-oriented art-gallery, the Mafia takeover of that gallery once there is big money to be made and another gay priest who accidentally drops in on a gay party in Spain and is "converted."

"They are all funny, closer to farce, but they also have a point and are all connected to both Gulla's experience and imagination. The acting was first-rate all around, convincing and with perfect timing."

Up next for Joe Gulla: "GAY.PORN.MAFIA: The Encore Performance". Also, Gulla's new play "Wilde Life!" will have its World Premiere at the 16th Annual All Out Arts "Fresh Fruit Festival" this July! "Wilde Life!" tells the story of legendary poet/playwright, Oscar Wilde, in juxtaposition to playwright Joe Gulla's real-life friendship with straight porn star, Adam Wilde.

For more information about Joe and his current projects, visit JoeGulla.com.

PHOTO: Todd Butera and Lou Liberatore

PHOTO CREDIT: Fusion Box Films