Miami New Drama is the place to see Miami’s stories come to life. As a playwright, it’s also the place to have your work come to life.

“You’re challenged and equally nurtured,” said Miami-born playwright Carmen Pelaez. “I know I’m a better actor and writer through this process of working with Miami New Drama.”

Carmen’s latest play, FAKE, will end its world premiere run at the Colony Theatre on Feb. 17. The show is based on Carmen’s great aunt, Cuban artist Amelia Pelaez, and explores the world of art dealing, Cuban politics, and trust.

Even before the show hits the stage, the theater company supports the artists —  down to making sure they have lunch during long rehearsal days.

That level of support also extends to the Miami community.

At every show, Colony Theatre includes a heavily-discounted ticket offer for those who are new to the world of theater. Its 305 ticket program reserves a block of tickets priced at $3.05 for Colony Theatre first-timers.

“They’re really invested in this city, and they’re naturally diverse,” Carmen said. “It’s not contrived. It’s who we are.”

Michel Hausmann, Miami New Drama founder and artistic director, sets the stage for the theater’s approach to storytelling.

“We are successful because we embrace our immigrant nature. We don’t hide it. We don’t try to pass it off. We embrace it, and we say ‘this is who we are, and this is who Miami is as well,’” Hausmann said. “Miami speaks with an accent.”

It’s the authentic storytelling of the Miami community that keeps the theater company successful.

Catch FAKE through February 17 at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road. Sign up for Colony Theatre’s newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming performances, like the world premiere of Confessions of a Cocaine Cowboy.

PRODUCED BY THE NEW TROPIC CREATIVE STUDIO WITH MIAMI NEW DRAMA

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and to continue our modern love series this month, we wanted to explore how singles in the 305 use the modern tools of matchmaking: dating apps.

Most people will agree online dating in Miami (or anywhere) can be brutal. Sifting through hundreds of online dating profiles, texting with several strangers at once, and getting ghosted aren’t everyone’s idea of fun. But for better or worse, it’s the way of the world. In fact, a Pew Research Center survey shows that a majority of Americans think online dating is a good way to meet people, and for young adults it’s increasingly becoming the way to meet people.

“I think these apps for sure have helped people find love, myself included,” says Kimmie, a New Tropic reader who met her current boyfriend on Bumble. “It’s awkward to meet people in person at first and not really have any idea of who they are, and you wouldn’t want to invest time into someone who stands for everything you hate. It’s such a big world that you need to look beyond your neighborhood, but at the same time weed out the creeps.”

But if love is a numbers game, dating apps give us more options than we know what to do with. And there’s no shortage of platforms to choose from: Tinder, Grindr, Bumble, Hinge, The League, Coffee Meets Bagel, Her, Match.com —the list goes on. There is even one for farmers.

With all those choices, we wanted to find out which apps are most popular in Miami and how online dating here is different than in other places. So we surveyed a small sample of Miamians with the help of Mariana Rego, a software product manager and freelance writer who does research on the Miami dating scene. Read the full story here.

MADE POSSIBLE BY WORLD EROTIC ART MUSEUM

Women vs. Walmart.  Almost 100 women, many of them Florida residents, filed legal complaints against Walmart in federal court recently over gender-based pay discrimination. They say they aren’t getting paid equally to their male counterparts in the same positions and are getting passed over for promotions, in some cases citing sexist reasons from their managers. The case is the latest in an ongoing legal battle about gender discrimination within the discount retail giant that spans back two decades. (Miami New Times)

Instead of duffel bags of weed money …  Florida’s Chief Financial Officer is trying to convince President Donald Trump that medical marijuana companies should be able to use the banking system. While medical marijuana is legal in several states, the multi-billion dollar industry operates as a cash-only business because weed is still illegal under federal law and banks won’t accept their deposits. Citing safety threats, Patronis argues that having so much cash on hand makes these businesses ripe targets for criminals. (WLRN)

Next stop, South Beach. Miami officials are starting to get serious about linking Miami to Miami Beach via mass transit. Riding the bus now takes about twice as long as driving. Some ideas in the works include adding a new stop on the metromover, creating a Disney-style monorail or making room for a dedicated bus lane on the MacArthur Causeway. The proposals are part of the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit study — or the SMART Plan. However, none of these options will come cheap. Expanding the metromover network could cost more than a billion dollars. (Miami Herald)

A new home for black history. Dana A. Dorsey made his money in real estate and banking in the earlier part of the 20th century and is often described as Miami’s first black millionaire. His historic home in Overtown was falling apart, but the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida restored the 1920s-era structure and has opened it to the public to serve as a museum and a place to host cultural events. (WMFE)

Come on in. The water is fine. Red tide devastated sea life and hurt local businesses, since no one wanted to go to a barren beach full of dead fish. But according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the algae bloom is gone and the waters are now clear. A weekend crowd at Manatee Public Beach confirmed the tourists are coming back and business is picking up. (Miami Herald)

Our bad. In yesterday’s newsletter we included the wrong name for the former Ferguson police chief and Miami police officer – his name is Delrish Moss not Ross.

THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY

Catch you back here tomorrow.

– The New Tropic