REAL WOMEN HAVE
CURVES by Carol Kaufman Segal
Real Women Have Curves is a play by
Josefina Lopez that takes place in a small sewing factory in East Los Angeles
in 1987. It premiered in 1990 and was
adapted into a film in 2002. It centers
on issues of women, Latina immigrant experiences, and politics, and has been
updated to today, earmarking its relevance to present times as it was decades
ago. The entire production is presented
by an all-woman team from the director (Mary Jo Duprey) to the scenic designer
(Tanya Orellana), and everyone involved in putting on a show.
The cast
includes Ana (Julianna Stephanie Ojeda) who recently graduated from high
school, Estela (Sherry Mandujano), Ana’s older sister and owner of the factory,
Carmen (Blanca Aracelli) mother of Ana and Estela, Pancha (Jackie Garcia), and
Rosalie (Claudia Duran). All of the
ladies work together in Estela’s factory. Each one bears a self-image problem of her
own. Ana, the youngest, is looking forward to going to college. She is not happy working at the factory, but needs
the money, and her sister needs her. She
tells the story through the writing in her journal.
Estela
admits to everyone that she has gotten herself deep in debt, has fallen behind
on a scheduled order for dresses to be completed, doesn’t have her green card,
and is fearful of being deported unless she gets the order completed in a week
to pay off her debts. She is counting on all of them pitching in
with her in order to save her and the factory.
The women are
all for helping Estela and pull together as they work in secret, fearful of
being raided by immigration authorities.
Throughout the week, with the windows and doors tightly closed in the
heat of the summer, they find themselves airing problems with one or another. However, there is never any true animosity
between them. More often they are in
good moods and seem to have formed a bond with each other through the many hours
working together.
The heat
finally gets to Ana and she strips down to her underwear as she speaks of
feeling secure in her own body. Her
action gets her co-workers on a rampage, each one stripping down to their
underwear, while relaying their views about their own bodies. This, of course, is the climax of all that we
have seen throughout the play and leads to the finale to show that Real Women Have Curves.
The play, after
all is a comedy though based somewhat on Josefina Lopez’s own life when she
worked in her sister’s factory. It gives
an insight into the experiences faced by immigrants and proves the power of
women. All five women in the production
proved their ability with their flawless performances.
Real Women Have Curves plays Thursdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 3 PM, through Nov. 18, at the Garry
Marshall Theatre, 4252 Riverside Dr., Burbank.
Tickets are available online at GarryMarshallTheatre.org, or by calling
(828) 955-8101. Select performances will
be presented Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 8 PM, Saturday, Oct, 27 at 2 PM, Sunday Nov.
4 at 7:30 PM, and Wednesday Nov.7 at 8 PM.
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