Florida Man (and Woman) get their due in ‘Worst Place on Earth’ monologues

The list of famous Floridians is a lengthy one. Think Henry Flagler, Burt Reynolds, Ariana Grande, Oscar Isaac, Angela Bassett, Raul Esparza, Nilo Cruz, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Zora Neale Hurston, Johnny Depp, Chris Evert – well, you get the idea. Whether these celebs were born here or chose Florida as home, notables in every profession have brought honor to the Sunshine State.

Then, there are the infamous Floridians, hundreds of them. Their moments in the spotlight are fleeting, hilarious, horrifying, unfathomable. And though they have names, of course, in headlines they’re invariably called “Florida Man” or “Florida Woman.”

Floridians on the bizarre end of the scale are the subject of a new podcast, “Worst Place on Earth,” created by playwright/actors Jessica Farr and Caleb Scott. The podcast will launch Nov. 19 with a free event in the Lobby Lounge at Miami’s Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a Happy Hour and open bar, with the launch festivities set to begin at 7 p.m.

Miami band Afrobeta will provide the live musical scoring for the monologues. (Photo courtesy of Afrobeta)

Farr, Scott and actors Noah Levine and Bianca Garcia will perform “Worst Place on Earth” monologues inspired by Florida Man/Florida Woman stories. In Farr’s “Angelyne,” for example, a man and woman high on drugs, and each other, steal a motorized cart from Walmart to go on a drinking binge. In Scott’s “Doug,” an introverted museum security guard begins recording the varying sounds of himself passing gas, then uploading the videos to YouTube. Ah, Floridian ingenuity!

Miami band Afrobeta will perform at the event, providing live musical scoring for the monologues.

Farr says she and Scott have written eight episodes of the podcast and will release the first two on the launch date, making them available on any podcast source.

They plan to release a new episode every two weeks, and they’re open to public submissions at worstplaceonearthpodcast@gmail.com.

What: “Worst Place on Earth” podcast kickoff event

When: 7 p.m. Nov. 19; doors open 6 p.m. with Happy Hour and two open bars

Where: Lobby Lounge at the Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami

Cost: Free

More information: Call Olympia Theater at 305-374-2444, or email worstplaceonearthpodcast@gmail.com

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