Real Women Have Curves

[NoHo Arts District, CA]  – CASA 0101 Theater will present a new production of Josefina López’s award-winning play, Real Women Have Curves, directed by Corky Dominguez, running from March 27 to May 3, 2026. 

About Real Women Have Curves

Real Women Have Curves is the story of five curvy Latina women working in a tiny sewing factory in East Los Angeles in 1987 who are trying to meet an impossible production deadline while hiding from immigration.  Their determination, courage and juicy “chisme” (gossip) help them form a bond and discover their power.

During the run of Real Women Have Curves, the sewing machine that once belonged to Josefina López’s late mother, Catalina Perales López, who was the model for the character of Carmen García in López’s play, dubbed “Catalina,” will be seen for the first time ever and appear on stage as one of the sewing machines used on the set of CASA 0101 Theater’s production of Real Women Have Curves.   Josefina López, at the age of 18, also worked with her sister, Esther López, as the model for the character of Estela García in her play set in a small sewing factory located on the East Side of Los Angeles.  It was on this very sewing machine that López’s mother once sewed on in the sewing factory they all worked together in nearly 40 years ago.

Josefina López, the creator and playwright of Real Women Have Curves, said:  “When I wrote the first words of my play 38 years ago in March of 1988, I felt I was divinely guided to write my story and share it with the world.  I never envisioned the lasting impact and topical relevance my words would have this many years later.  When I was 18 years old, writing in my journal about my hilarious experiences at my sister’s sewing factory in East L.A. I channeled my anger at the machismo I experienced growing up and the objectification of women and racism by Hollywood and my experience being undocumented.  And now, years later, I have learned why this story has been embraced and become a hit.  My story celebrates the four stages of being a woman, the challenges of transitioning to the next stage, and embracing the natural and organic process of aging and coming into our own wisdom.  When women celebrate their lives and play, they createa sacred space that helps others be liberated of shame, especially of their bodies.  My story is a sacred dance of feminine goddess energy and camaraderie that was inspired by my own mother, sister and the women in my life at that time, which has taken on a higher purpose beyond what I ever initially could have imagined.”

“I have had the great pleasure of collaborating with Josefina López on many of her original plays by taking what she has written on the page and breathing life into her characters and words by realizing them on the stage,” said Corky Dominguez, director of Real Women Have Curves. “Given what is happening in the world we are living in today, the spot on poignancy of Josefina’s themes and plotline in Real Women Have Curves, laced with a heavy dose of humor, is undeniably pertinent, joyous and uplifting for our times.  This will be the takeaway for audience members who come to see our production!”

“Josefina López’s play, Real Women Have Curves, launched CASA 0101 over 25 years ago,” said Emmanuel Deleage, producer of Real Women Have Curves and executive director of CASA 0101 Theater. “After a Broadway run in 2025, we are excited to be bringing back the play that launched it all for us.  Last produced in 2011 at CASA 0101, Real Women Have Curves has become more timely than ever.”

During the run of Real Women Have Curves, CASA 0101 Theater will present a free art exhibition in the Jean Deleage Art Gallery titled The Syntax of Photography. Curated by Jimmy Centeno, the show features work by Mari Mercado, Carlos Rosas, Camilo Cruz, Carlos Tinoco, Gregory Parker, Miguel Delgado, Jimmy Centeno, and Marti Guerra, exploring how photography shapes meaning, memory, and visual storytelling. The exhibit is open before performances and Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Cast

The cast of Real Women Have Curves includes:  Stefany Arroyo (of South Bay/Lomita, CA) as Ana García; Yasha Alanitz (of Silver Lake, CA) as Estela García; Blanca Araceli (of Los Angeles, CA) as Carmen García; Amy Melendrez (of Venice, CA) as Rosalí; and Laura Vega (of Pasadena, CA) as Pancha.

Understudies in Real Women Have Curves include:  Gabriela Machuca (of Yorba Linda, CA) Understudy for Ana García and Rosalí who will appear as Ana García in the Spanish performance of the play on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.; and Mariana Montes Sandoval (of Whittier, CA) Understudy for Estela García, Carmen García and Pancha who will appear as Estela García in the Spanish performance of the play on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

The Team

The production team for Real Women Have Curves includes:  Josefina López (of Boyle Heights) Creator and Playwright, Founding Artistic Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Emmanuel Deleage (of Silver Lake, CA) Producer and Executive Director, CASA 0101 Theater; Edward Padilla (of Boyle Heights) Casting Director and CASA 0101 Theater Board Member; Corky Dominguez (of Boyle Heights) Director; Carmelita Maldonado (of El Sereno, CA) Assistant Director; Angelica Ornelas (of North Hollywood, CA) Stage Manager; Joy Diaz (of Monterray Park, CA) Assistant Stage Manager; César Rentana-Holguín (of Northridge, CA) Set Designer; Alejandro Parra (of Burbank, CA) Lighting Designer; Tony Iniguez (of West Covina, CA) Costume Designer; Abel Alvarado (of Silver Lake, CA) Assistant Costume Designer; Andy James Garcia (of East Los Angeles, CA) Props Manager; Jeremiah Ocañas (of Boyle Heights) Set Builder; Mark Kraus (of Los Angeles, CA), CASA 0101 Theater Development Director; Itzel Ocampo (of Alhambra, CA) Graphic Designer and CASA 0101 Theater Marketing and Operations Manager; Gabriela López de Dennis, Soap Studio Inc. (of Los Angeles, CA) Program; Jorge Villanueva (of the Boyle Heights) Facilities Manager; Oscar Basulto (of the Boyle Heights) Box Office Manager; Al Aguilar (of Los Angeles, CA) Production Assistant/Foyer Designer; Rudy Torres (of Los Angeles, CA) Production Photographer and Steve Moyer Public Relations (of Los Angeles, CA), Press Representative.

CASA 0101 Theater is supported in part by:  The State of California, Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture, Eastside Arts Initiative, National Latinx Theater Initiative, Herb Alpert Foundation, Perenchio Foundation, The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, California Arts Council, U.S. Bank and the David Lee Foundation.