Real Women Have Curves

Set in a tiny sewing factory in East L.A., this is the outrageously funny story of five full-figured Mexican-American women who are racing to meet nearly impossible production deadlines in order to keep their tiny factory from going under. And while they work, hiding from the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service), they talk… about their husbands and lovers, their children and their dreams for the future. The story is told from the point of view of Ana, the youngest among them. Just graduated from high school, Ana dreams of getting out of the barrio and going off to college and becoming a famous writer. Although she needs money, Ana doesn’t like working at the factory, and has little respect for the co-workers, who make fun of her ambitions and what they consider her idealistic feminist philosophies. However, Ana keeps coming to her job and chronicling here experiences in a journal. As the summer unfolds, she slowly gains an understanding and appreciation of the work and the women, eventually writing an essay that wins her a journalism fellowship which will take her to New York City. This play, a microcosm of the Latina immigrant experience, celebrates real women’s bodies, the power of women, and the incredible bond that happens when women work together.

About the playwright 

Josefina López (Writer/Director/ Producer/Performer) is best known for authoring the play and co-authoring the 2002 SUNDANCE AWARD WINNING film Real Women Have Curves. Josefina started her writing career at 17 and has had over 100 productions of her many plays throughout the country. Josefina has been working as a professional screenwriter in Hollywood for almost 30 years with countless development deals and screenplay assignments. She has worked with many established Producers like Norman Lear (All In the Family) and Michael McDonald (American Crime) to bring Latinos to television. Born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 1969, Josefina Lopez was five years old when she and her family migrated to the United States and settled in the East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. Josefina was undocumented for thirteen years before she received Amnesty in 1987 and eventually became a U.S. Citizen in 1995. Josefina is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, has an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA’s School of Film & Television, and has a “Diplome de Cuisine” from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris.

– Bio by Josefina López

About the moderator

Sherronda Johnson (Stage Manager / Intimacy Choreographer / Director / Actor) is a seasoned theatre artist specializing in script analysis, character development, and theatrical insight to bring characters to life with authenticity and emotional depth. Her eye for detail and narrative structure has supported productions like Knight Songs at Blue City Cultural Center; Grease, Cinderella, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Glass Menagerie, and A Raisin in the Sun at Theatre Memphis; Carmen Jones, Succession, Father Comes Home From The Wars Parts 1, 2 & 3, The Color Purple, and Porgy and Bess at Hattiloo Theatre. Passionate about collaborative communities and actor safety, Sherronda ensures every performance stays true to the script and touches the hearts of your audience.