June Morris grew up hearing stories about South Florida’s early days from her grandparents, Lucy Mae Barnes and Robert Thompson, Midwesterners who settled in Miami during the 1920s land boom.
Inspired by their tales, Morris takes audiences back in time to experience that era in her debut play, Greetings from Paradise — in celebration of the City of Coral Gables' 100th anniversary.
WLRN’s Helen Acevedo spoke with Morris ahead of the premiere. The show opened Tuesday at the Actors’ Playhouse at the historic Miracle Theatre and runs through May 3.
The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
The play takes place during the 1920s land boom in Miami. It actually includes real historical figures like George Merrick and Carl Fisher. What kind of research went into bringing this time in history to the stage in an accurate and authentic way?
June Morris: A lot. I think I've read now every book written about early Florida history. And while I've read all these books and I took copious notes, my desire was really to bring all of these real people to life on stage, so that we can hear the story of early Miami directly from their lips.
The play's inspired by your grandmother's journey to Miami. What made you want to bring those family stories to the stage?
June Morris: That's how it all started, because when I was a little girl, I would spend the weekend with my grandparents, and my grandmother loved to tell the story. So she was a small-town girl. She lived on a farm basically outside of Indianapolis. And of course, that's going to be the arc of her story—coming down, as so many Midwesterners did, and her eyes being opened wide to this new world in which there was no societal hierarchy, and the Victorian mores of the 1800s were melting away, and women had new freedoms.
But what I really tried to do was get into the characters of Carl Fisher and George Merrick, Doc Dammers, and Jane Fisher as well, because they are quite colorful characters.
Let's just say there's a time machine and you had the opportunity to go back to the 1920s land boom and experience that firsthand. Is there anything in particular that you maybe would've wanted to see if you had that chance?
June Morris: I can't imagine why anyone would've moved down here at that time. There was no air conditioning, the mosquitoes, the snakes, the Florida panthers were roaming and there were even bears. However, I think I would really love to peek in on what it was like in the roaring twenties down here. You know, 1925 is when The Great Gatsby was also published, and the opening of the Miami Biltmore Hotel that we know here in Coral Gables, was the most Gatsby-like party that anyone has ever seen. So I would love to peek in and see what it was really like.
What do you think audiences might be surprised by during this period in South Florida that you talk about in this play?
June Morris: I am amazed at how few people know very much about the Magic City. In fact, one of the first people to read my screenplay said, “Where are the Latinos?”
I said they weren't here yet. They didn’t come till much later. And I tried to explain who the earliest Miamians were. The first influx of people—the immigrants from other states—were from the Midwest and the Northeast. And they came down because our legislature in 1924 got rid of income and inheritance taxes.
And they did that just to attract the wealthy down here. And guess what? One hundred years later, it’s working again, as we see those same populations—California and New York—coming down because of the high taxes in those states.
So what would surprise them the most is the demographics when the city began—and the demographics now. We have this beautiful tapestry of people from all over the world and this magnificent Latino influence that makes Miami unique among the states, right? And even among the cities in Florida. And we have a lot to be proud of.
But I think that it's also good to remember the history and how quickly our part of the world has evolved.
What does it mean to you to have your play be the centerpiece of the Coral Gables Grand Centennial Gala celebration?
June Morris: People will know that this is a fictionalized tale about real history, but the real history needs to be true. So I'm very particular about that as we're putting the pieces together, and I'm honored that it is the marquee event for the City of Coral Gables' Centennial Celebration.
IF YOU GO
What: "Greetings from Paradise" play
When: April 29-May 3, 2025
Where: Actors’ Playhouse at the historic Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134
For more information, visit actorsplayhouse.org.
