| BOOK & LYRICS | MUSIC & LYRICS |
|---|---|
| Jesse Ayala | Justino Tesoro |
A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY SET IN MIAMI
Love is complicated.
Dating apps made it worse.
When a commitment-phobic tech bro gets one night to prove he's capable of empathy, he meets a romance-skeptical medical resident who might be even worse at love than he is. All under the glow of the Miami moon.
“We ate it up… like a saucer of milk.”
DAN EGAN, YALE UNIVERSITY
“You’re like the bravest lyricists I’ve ever met!”
WILEY HAUSAM, BROADWAY PRODUCER
PUT IN YOUR EARBUDS
Press play on
your feelings.
Not My Type
Ramy, a self-proclaimed fuckboy, has one last chance to impress his therapist: show some empathy. Armed with Michelle Obama’s Becoming, he heads to a bar to meet women, only to discover he can’t stop swiping, even without his phone.
Idealistic
After a grueling hospital shift, Carolina escapes to a Miami beach with takeout and a true-crime podcast. Between bites and tales of romance gone homicidally wrong, she questions whether love is worth the risk.
A MODERN LOVE STORY
Two Strangers.
One Night.
Zero Emotional Maturity.
Ramy has never met a woman he couldn't charm, or a relationship he couldn't sabotage. When his therapist prescribes one night of empathy and Michelle Obama's Becoming, he meets Carolina, a medical resident whose idea of romance involves true-crime podcasts and very low expectations.One night in Miami. Two romantic disasters. What could possibly go wrong?June Moon is a comedy about emotional adulthood and love: what it costs, what it risks, and what it makes possible.
MIAMI'S FINEST CHARACTERS
RAMY
A successful tech guy who can win anyone over for a night but has never managed a real relationship.
CAROLINA
A medical resident, hungry, for love but unwilling to put herself out there.
DR. MILLIKIN
Ramy's therapist, who is certain she knows exactly what's best for Gen Z.
"Michelle O. says
'when they go high, you go low...' right?"
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
From First Staging
To What's Next
Inspired by George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner's 1929 play, June Moon, our musical reimagines its romantic ambitions for a generation navigating dating apps, therapy, and the search for authentic connection.Building on feedback from our initial presentations, we're developing the next draft into a full length musical, deepening Carolina's story and bringing Miami more fully to life.
PRESENTATION HISTORY
NYPL Lincoln Center
2025 Across a Crowded Room Development Program
20 minute showcase presentation
TADA! Theater
2026 SparkFest New Musicals
30 minute showcase presentation
For producers, theaters, & festivals
Join us in developing
this new musical.
We're seeking producers, theaters, dramaturgs, and creative collaborators to help expand the musical and shape its next chapter.
THE TEAM
The Writers
BOOK & LYRICS
Jesse Ayala
First-generation Latino storyteller trained at the BMI Workshop, Berklee, and Harvard. Musicals include Marlise! (Dir. Joe Barros, The Players Theatre, 2026; New Musicals Project finalist), June Moon (SparkFest 2026), Madame X (NAAP Discover New Musicals 2026), Salt & Pepper, and Twin or Lose. His documentary films have premiered at Tribeca, Cannes, and SXSW. Broadway investor (The Wiz, 2024), Managing Editor of TheaterLife, and member of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.JesseAyala.com
MUSIC & LYRICS
Justino Tesoro
Composer, lyricist, and performer; graduate of Wagner College and Berklee NYC, and a composer in the BMI Workshop. His music has been featured at Carnegie Hall (Transport Group), Lincoln Center, Sony Music Hall, and The Green Room 42. Works include Marlise!, June Moon (Lincoln Center, TADA! Youth Theater), and Salt & Pepper (Jerry Orbach Theater). Co-founder of Punch-Up! Theatre Co., with 28K+ TikTok followers for his song-a-day series. Queer and on the autism spectrum, he writes for anyone who has felt “othered.”JustinoTesoro.com
Collaborators
DIRECTOR
Eliza Fitch
ADDITIONAL LYRICS
Isa Peña
"RAMY"
Jaylen Gray
"CAROLINA"
Jules Curtis
"Dr. Millikin"
Emma Rogers
FAQ: About The Show
What is June Moon?
June Moon is a new musical comedy with book and lyrics by Jesse Ayala and music and lyrics by Justino Tesoro. Set in Miami, it follows Ramy, a tech guy whose therapist gives him one night to rewrite his habits, and Carolina, the medical resident who pushes him toward emotional honesty. It is loosely inspired by George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner's 1929 play June Moon.Where has it been presented?
A 20-minute cut was presented at NYPL Lincoln Center in November 2025 through the Across a Crowded Room Development Program, and a 30-minute cut at SparkFest New Musicals at TADA! Theater in April 2026.Is June Moon available for development or production?
Yes. The writers are seeking readings, workshops, developmental productions and producing partners. Producers can request the script, demos and full presentation video at jesseayala.com/inquire.
Get in on this
Love Story.
Be First to Hear What's Next
JUNE MOON
A musical by Jesse Ayala & Justino Tesoro
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