Diversity and inclusion were key in casting The Gayborhood
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Local filmmaker Israel Luna has embarked on a new series that hits close to home. In The Gayborhood, he and co-creator Joseph Herrera, along with a group of coworkers and friends, are bringing a mix of comedy and drama to each other’s lives.
And, of course, the show is set right here in Oak Lawn.
The six-part episodic series show premieres June 27 on YouTube with a special theatrical screening and premiere party on June 24 at Studio Movie Grill in Dallas.
(Full disclosure: The Gayborhood is made in association with Dallas Voice.)
“This has been fun to write,” Luna said. “It’s all about the gays. It has as much representation as possible in this group of friends and coworkers.”
For inspiration, Luna reached way back — like decades ago — into his early foray into serialized storytelling.
“I did a show in the ’90s on cable access,” Luna said. “Cable access! It was called Boobs, Boys and High Heels, and we did a couple of episodes. We were throwing around ideas, but that show became an inspiration for me to do this one.”
But times have changed for Luna. He revisited this format, but he did it with a new outlook.
His wheelhouse has expanded since then, and he was going to put all that to use.
Filmmaker Israel Luna, center, turned to longtime friend Richard Curtin, right, with whom his has worked often, to lead the cast for The Gayborhood
First, he spoke with Dallas Voice publisher Leo Cusimano about the project. The two would ultimately join forces to present this project. For Cusimano, this all fell in line with the Dallas Voice’s mission of being a platform for the community. Plus, it allows Dallas Voice to expand its digital presence, an initiative important to Cusimano.
“I’ve known and respected Israel Luna for years. His talent, his storytelling instincts and his unique voice are undeniable,” Cusimano said. “When he approached me about The Gayborhood I immediately saw the potential for something special: a series that not only entertains but also reflects the colorful, diverse and sometimes outrageous characters that make up our community.
“Getting involved as executive producer felt like a natural next step,” he continued. “I also saw this as an opportunity to elevate Dallas Voice’s presence on YouTube. We’ve been working to grow that channel, and a series like The Gayborhood has the power to attract new viewers, build engagement and eventually help us monetize the platform in a meaningful way.
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Dallas Voice hosting The Gayborhood premiere
The Dallas Voice and Israel Luna will host a special premiere event for the new streaming series The Gayborhood at Studio Movie Grill, 13933 N. Central Expressway, on Tuesday, June 24. The event gives guests a chance to binge the entire first season of The Gayborhood before Friday’s YouTube premiere of the first episode.
The event will also feature members of the cast and a talkback with the creative team behind the show as well as the actors.
“I am nervous, but more excited,” Luna said about people seeing the show.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at DallasVoice.com/Support.
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“It’s entertainment; it’s community storytelling, and it’s smart business — all rolled into one.”
With Luna and Cusimano on the same page, the filmmaker moved forward creatively but also efficiently since this is a budget-minded indie project. Luna is also the owner of Spayse Studio which also served as much of the show’s location.
“We have a limited budget — like, limited. So we watched the number of locations, and, ultimately, I made the show based around the studio,” he said.
The premise centers on Bruce, studio owner by day and drag queen Heather Hardin by night. Surrounding characters are primarily his employees, including a podcaster, an assistant manager, the handyman and some recurring characters peppered in.
The main cast features eight actors — all local, and the show stars Richard Curtin, who Luna has worked with numerous times in his previous films.
“He will do whatever is required of his character,” Luna said of Curtin. “He loves to act and is so willing that I tried to write in some ridiculous stuff for him to do.”
The cast also includes Danny Venegas, Opie Ryan, Trevor Vanarsdale, Brent Fields, Basil Ramos-Ahued, Sam Preece and Angel Rose Keeley — many of whom were new faces to Luna.
“I had only met them for the first time during auditions. This cast though is just so good, I had to put them in. It makes me so happy to have them in this show,” he said.
In the process, Luna was learning as well.
Make-up time
“Opie identifies as nonbinary but auditioned for Jessie, a character I wrote as a lesbian. But Opie was perfect for the role, and so I rewrote the character as NB-identifying,” he said.
“I thought this was a good learning experience for me to explore the character this way. They expressed their appreciation, which was so cool. I’m glad to be part of maybe changing or adding to that dialogue,” Luna said.
Because, for Luna and Herrera — while this is intended to be a fun show — it is all about representation.
A catalyst for starting and moving forward with the show was the 2024 presidential election. Luna immediately knew that visibility was going to be the community’s biggest weapon.
“After you-know-who was put into office — I can’t even say his name — we had to represent,” he said. “I thought that we are going to need to be louder, stronger, gayer, queerer, sluttier and more colorful.
“We need to take up as much space as possible and flood the airwaves with everything queer. We have to let them know we’re not going anywhere.”
Cusimano noted, “Working with Israel on a project that explores the lives of wacky, wonderful and deeply meaningful individuals sounded like a blast… and it aligned perfectly.
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