Joe Raiola
PRESIDENT, Executive/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Since joining the Theatre Within Workshop in 1979 Joe Raiola has found his way as a satirist, solo performer, producer, workshop facilitator, and non-profit leader.

After years floundering on the NYC comedy club scene, Joe landed his first professional humor work with National Lampoon alumni before joining the legendary “Usual Gang of Idiots” at MAD Magazine.  For the next 33 years Joe was a frequent MAD contributor, retiring in 2017 after two decades as Senior Editor. 

Joe has performed his fiery solo show on free speech and comedy, The Joy of Censorship, at countless colleges, theaters, libraries and conferences in 44 states.

Along with Theatre Within Workshop Founder, Alec Rubin, he created the Annual John Lennon Tribute, which he has produced and appeared in every year since 1981.

In 2006, shortly after Alec’s death, Joe established Theatre Within as a non-profit. Since then the Annual John Lennon Tribute has evolved from a small gathering on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to an important NYC cultural event. 

In 2014 Joe set Theatre Within on a new course with a mission of serving communities in need by providing free programs in creative expression and mindfulness. 

That same year, under Joe’s leadership and with the transformational support of Yoko Ono, Theatre Within established the John Lennon Real Love Project and the John Lennon Real Love Award.

Now in his fifth decade with Theatre Within, Joe leads weekly workshops in creative process for cancer patients and remains deeply committed to the organization’s life-affirming mission.