Love, Longing, and a Burlesque Bar: Edoardo Tesio’s Love’s Concordia Bar Comes to New York
Director, playwright, and artistic director at Theater Company della Luna
Three years ago, Edoardo Tesio found himself at a crossroads of love and longing. His first heartbreak had passed, and though he no longer missed the person, he missed the sensation of love itself. The idea of love lingered, an unshakable presence that led him to a deep conversation with his close friend and collaborator, Marjorie Murillo. Though their experiences with love differed, they both shared an idealized view of it. Was this a pattern? Two people weren’t enough to form a conclusion—so they reached out to forty others, asking them to write letters about what romantic love meant to them. The responses they received were nothing short of extraordinary.
From these letters, a world was born—a burlesque bar owned by Love itself, where time doesn’t pass, and the only requirement for entry is to be in love. Love’s Concordia Bar follows two young lovers who stumble into this enigmatic place, where dazzling musical numbers, sultry choreography, and eccentric characters embody different forms of love. With original pop bangers by Olivia Altair and the electrifying choreography of Bridget Spencer and Soraya Omtztigt, the bar comes alive in a spectacular fusion of passion and performance. But as the young couple navigates this whimsical, thought-provoking world, they must ask themselves—does their love meet Love’s high standards? And once inside Love’s Concordia Bar, is leaving even an option?
Edoardo’s creative process is as unique as his storytelling. Inspiration finds him in the stillness of night, in moments of deep emotion. A familiar feeling—anger, frustration, longing—sparks the ritual: turning off all the lights, playing music, pacing around the house. Like clockwork, a new story emerges. It’s an unstoppable force, a kind of emotional alchemy that turns raw feeling into art. He finds creative kinship in Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and the films of Ferzan Ozpetek, storytellers who masterfully explore human emotions through fantastical worlds.
His journey as a storyteller began in childhood, back in Italy, where he built entire worlds with his beloved dolls. At age five, his grandmother gave him his first two dolls and Edoardo’s imagination took off. He created a universe where dolls and humans were locked in a conflict, with dolls in toy stores as prisoners of war waiting to be rescued by children who would give them safe homes. This imaginary queendom became his first storytelling playground, a judgment-free realm where creativity reigned supreme.
At fifteen, Edoardo fell in love with acting but quickly encountered the industry’s rigid expectations of masculinity. Rather than conform, he turned to writing, determined to create worlds where feminine men existed freely—without needing to explain or justify their presence. He gathered friends and put on his first show, igniting a passion for theater that would define his career. Moving to New York and co-founding Theater Company della Luna in 2021 solidified his creative family, a group of like-minded artists who bring his visions to life.
His collaborators—his "partners in crime and glitter"—are his greatest treasure. Olivia Altair’s pop compositions, Marjorie Murillo’s fearless acting and writing, Bridget Spencer’s spellbinding choreography, and a cast of powerhouse performers bring Love’s Concordia Bar to vivid life. Their artistic synergy, built over years of working together, is a rare and cherished gift. Edoardo credits fate—and perhaps the divine intervention of Britney Spears—for bringing them together.
After a critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where the show sparked heated debates and even led to a couple of breakups (a bizarre but thrilling testament to its impact), Love’s Concordia Bar is set to make its New York debut. From a personal conversation with a friend to a show that challenges audiences to examine their own relationships with love, Edoardo’s journey as a playwright continues to unfold.
As he prepares for the New York run at The Flea from April 16th to April 19th, Edoardo reflects on what makes him proudest—not just the dazzling production, but the conversations it ignites. What started as a personal reckoning with love has now become a larger dialogue, spanning cities, cultures, and perspectives.
For those looking to experience the magic of Love’s Concordia Bar, tickets are free with RSVP at Eventbrite.
Follow Edoardo Tesio and Theater Company della Luna at @edoardotesio and @companydellaluna, or visit companydellalunatheater.com and edoardo-tesio.com for more on his imaginative, emotion-driven work.
