Playwright’s Name: Joe Gulla
Tell us about your latest project:
“The Bronx Queen” is the first chapter of my “Bronx Queen Trilogy”! It is the story of my young life as a gay boy growing up in an Italian working-class section of the Bronx. The title is not as simple as it may appear. Certainly, I AM a “Bronx Queen”. Ha! But, “The Bronx Queen” was also the name of a fishing charter boat that my Dad took me on as a youth. Ironically, he was taking me fishing on that boat to sorta “butch me up’! Put it this way, “branding” was not a hot concept in the 70’s!
What excites you about being a part of the Downtown Urban Arts Festival?
As soon as I heard about this festival, I knew “The Bronx Queen” would be a perfect fit. My show touches on my obsession with legendary graffiti artist, Jean Michel Basquiat and, obviously, it is set in The Bronx. I don’t think you can get more “Downtown” and “Urban” than that! Oh… and I am a Native New Yorker. It’s been a dream of mine to perform at Joe’s Pub! Look at what this “simple Bronx boy with a dream” gets to do! “Excited” doesn’t even come close!
What’s your upcoming project after the Festival?
A week after my performance at Joe”s Pub, I fly to Colorado Springs, CO for the opening of a play I wrote called, “Gayfever”. It is about a man who finds out he is allergic to gay people! Ha! Break out the Benadryl!
Website: http://www.joegulla.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheBronxQueen/?fref=ts
Twitter: @joegulla
SHOW INFO
Directed by Brian Rardin
Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30pm
Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette Street)
Tickets are $20 at http://www.dutfnyc.com or by calling 212-967-7555
CREATIVE AMMO, INC.
PRESENTS THE
2016 DOWNTOWN
URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL
FEATURING THEATER, SOLO WORKS & FILM
MARCH 4 – APRIL 9
Now in its 14th year, the Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUTF) is becoming New York’s premiere winter/spring theatre event showcasing independent theatre artists. The month-long festival, produced by Creative Ammo, Inc., provides writers and performance artists from America’s burgeoning multicultural landscape the opportunity to share their stories that interpret our history and our times.
The 2016 Downtown Urban Arts Festival will run March 4-April 2 with performances at Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette Street), Nuyorican Poets Café (236 East 3rd Street), HERE (145 Sixth Avenue – enter on Dominick Street), and the Tribeca Film Center (375 Greenwich Street). Tickets ($10-$30) may be purchased in advance at http://www.dutfnyc.com.
Malini Singh mcdonald 