We live in Miami. By the ocean. We know tides and waves are fickle and that we shouldn’t turn our backs on the sea. In 1962, Miami — and the United States as a whole — was in flux. Especially momentous for Miami and its sizeable Cuban population were the “Cuban Democracy Act,” which essentially placed a full embargo on Cuba (still unbroken), the Cuban Missile Crisis and the fallout from the Bay of Pigs. Michael McKeever’s “Moscow,” a comedy set in Miami circa 1962, introduces a dysfunctional, once prominent South Florida family who “find their world challenged by the life-altering events of the era.” On March 30, Zoetic Stage and the Arsht Center, a Knight Arts grantee, will present the premier of “Moscow.”

“Moscow” features five main characters, all women in their middle-age. The three sisters include: Lydia, a 48-year-old unmarried matriarch; Laurelei, 48 and pregnant, who smokes, drinks and embraces life; and Lucy, the youngest at 42, who lives in her own private fantasy world. The other two characters are Jacqueline, an African-American and unofficial sister, and Antonia, a Cuban socialite who suddenly is without money, friends or country. The five characters find their view on life challenged in a showdown of past and present, East and West that occurs, to our delight, in front of us onstage. M. John Richard, president and CEO of the Arsht Center says of the play, “We’re certain [“Moscow’s”] clever storyline and amusing approach to significant historical events will delight South Florida audiences.”

McKeever, an award-winning South Florida playwright and co-founder of Zoetic Stage, says that while he has worked on movies, theatre is his favorite medium because each performance is unique, “like life only with better lighting.” Who hasn’t wanted their life to feature softer lighting with a clever soundtrack? McKeever wants viewers to connect with his words and narrative and enjoys creating “entire worlds from scratch.” He is also especially interested in entertaining audiences while enlightening them. This objective allows him to create narratives about difficult subjects without preaching. We all need to laugh at difficult events (and ourselves) one in a while, and intelligent comedies seem in short supply recently, so come to “Moscow” and relish the laughter.

McKeever was the recipient of three Carbonell Awards; four Curtain Up Awards; and two Florida Individual Artist Fellowships; and an NEA Residency Grant (New Theatre, Miami). Six of his plays have been produced at City Theatre’s Summer Shorts Festival in Miami. To learn more about him and his previous works, visit his website at http://michaelmckeeverplays.com. Moscow is the fourth installment of the Arsht Center’s 2011-12 Theater Up Close series (and final Zoetic performance) which features artistic collaborations from stellar local theater ensembles and nationally acclaimed theater companies.

Preview, March 29 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night: March 30 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 1 through April 15, Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m. Carnival Studio Theater, Arsht Center: 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Fla. 33132. Tickets: $40 to $45. For reservations, visit www.arshtcenter.org or call the box office at 305-949-6722. Visit www.arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information for details.