Real Women Have Curves was first written 38 years ago by Chicana playwright Josefina López and is the story of 5 curvy Latina women working in a Los Angeles sweatshop in 1987. The story was based on López’s real-life work for her sister at a sewing factory in Los Angeles when she was a teenager.
López also co-authored a film version of the story for the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, which won a jury award, the Humanitas Prize, Imagen Award, and special recognition by the National Board of Review.
In 2025, the play was used as source material for the Broadway production of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, which earned 12 award nominations, including Best Musical from the New York Drama League and Outer Critics Circle, as well as nominations for the New York Drama Critics Circle and two Tony Award nominations.
In addition to her prolific playwriting and screenwriting career, Josefina López is the founding artistic director of CASA 0101 in Boyle Heights, where a current production of Real Women Have Curves is being presented through May 3, 2026.
López’s mother also worked with her in the sewing factory, and her actual sewing machine is on stage as a prop for the play.
The production stars Stefany Arroyo, Yasha Alaniz, Bianca Araceli, Amy Melendrez, and Laura Vega. Corky Dominguez directs it.
The production depicts the multi-generational challenges of factory women that include aging, weight, romance, and issues regarding undocumented workers.
Blanca Araceli (Carmen García), Stefany Arroyo (Ana García), and Laura Vega (Pancha) in Josefina López’s signature play, Real Women Have Curves, directed by Corky Dominguez, being presented at CASA 0101 Theater, March 27 – May 3, 2026, www.casa0101.org – Photo by Steve Moyer Public Relations
Ana, played by Stefany Arroyo, is the spunky little sister who yearns to be a writer. She spends time in the sewing factory’s bathroom writing in her journal. Her goal is to become educated so she can break the cycle of having to work in a menial labor job.
Yasha Alaniz portrays Ana’s older sister Estela. She owns the factory but is the only woman working there who has not completed her immigration paperwork. Estela is terrified that la Migra (Immigration and Naturalization Service) will discover her, shut down her business, and deport her. She also swoons for a man (who is not seen), who she later discovers is a cad.
Estela and Ana’s mother, Carmen, is played hilariously by Blanca Araceli, who deals with aging, playfully shows her sexy side, and tries to support the other women by bringing them moldy mole to eat.
Laura Vega is Pancha, a married older woman who puts up with working in the factory to appease her dominating husband. She is also very funny in her role.
Amy Melendrez as Rosalí is a slim woman who thinks she’s fat and who starves herself to the point of fainting while taking diet pills.
Estela cannot open the door of the factory for fear of being discovered and is reticent to buy a fan to cool off the hot room because of the expense. In a comical scene, all five women, starting with Ana, strip down to their underwear, belly flab and all, to stay cool.
Even though the story takes place in 1987, it couldn’t be timelier, considering the mass deportations that are in full force today.
It is also relatable because it focuses on the challenges of being a woman in an oppressive environment. The group’s camaraderie and how they support each other through their challenges are heartfelt and engaging.
The play is being performed in both English and Spanish, so check to ensure it is in your preferred language when purchasing tickets.
CASA 0101 Theater – 2102 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
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