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cahwyguy
Back in July 2025, there was a very interesting episode of Planet Money about garment works, and the costs of making a garment in America. You can read the transcript here. Garment work is piece work (although legally they should be making up the difference between that and minimum wage), with workers being paid perhaps 30¢ a piece for the various parts, for a bra that might retail for $62. To earn a living, they often bring work home. Many of these workers are immigrants, and many are undocumented. When we buy a cheap T-shirt that was made overseas, we never think about the working conditions of the people that made it. When we buy a “Made in the USA” garment, we don’t think about the people who make that garment for us: who assemble and sew it, who manufacture the fabric. People who get paid pennies for a garment we pay hundreds for.
All of this went through my mind last night when we went to see the play Real Women Have Curves, at the theatre founded by its author, Josefina López many many years ago. Although this property has been around for a while, I’ve never seen it: I haven’t been to a production of the play, nor have I watched the subsequent movie version. I have listened to the cast album to the recent Broadway musical version, and I hope someday to see that. Perhaps more on that later.
Real Women Have Curves tells the story of five women working in a small garment factory operation, seemingly in East Los Angeles. A mother (Carmen), her older daughter (Estela), her younger daughter (Ana), and two friends (Pancha and Rosali). They live their lives in fear of the immigration authorities (although all but Estela are now here legally). They have little money, as their operation hasn’t been paid for the last order as they delivered late, and that payment won’t come until they finish the next large order. The owner of the shop, Estela, is being on the payments for the machine and the courts are coming after her (which is why she hasn’t started the immigration paperwork). Despite all these problems, they are happy and hopeful that they will be able to move forward. The protagonist of the story even hopes to be a writer some day, if she can afford to go to NYU. As all workers do, they gossip about their love lives, their opens and fears. They are realistic about their size and joke about it. They are also tired from the heat, but cannot open the door because of the immigration fears. When one worker collapses, they worry if they will get the order finished.
Although written in the late 1980s, the play makes many comments that are relevant today. Certainly, the issue of garment workers being underpaid and exploited is as relevant today as it was in the 1980s. In the play, they comment about how they might make $30 for a dress that sells for $200; the Planet Money article shows those ratios are still holding. They also comment that most of the folks buying garments don’t understand the work that goes into the making of the garment, while those who do the work can see the evidence of the sweat and labor that goes into it. The play also comments on how society views women and their bodies, and the chase for women to be young and beautiful and thing. It makes explicit comments about seeing the beauty in real bodies, with realistic sizes, and all the scrapes, bumps, scars, and cellulite that comes from a life well lived. It that, the play presaged the monologues that resonated so much in the movie Barbie about society’s unrealistic expectations about women. Lastly, an overriding theme of the play is the fear of la migra — immigration authorities — taking people and disappearing them with little notice. This hasn’t changed; under the Trump administration it has gotten worse. I’ve listened to someone recent podcasts that detail the horrors that ICE is inflicting on people and the fear it creates, as well as the damage that the tear gas they use inflicts. The fear was real then, and the fear is real now, and those pushing the agenda forget that these are just real people, doing the low paid jobs that most folks don’t want to do but need to be done. Politics builds up the fear and hides the people; this play makes us see the people and the impacts. In that, this is a vitally important play today, just as it was when it first came out.
The performances were outstanding. Stefany Arroyo, a recent graduate, was wonderful as Ana, brining a joy and delight (as well as realism) to the role. In a small theatre like this, you could see the real emotions in her face, and it was wonderful. Blanca Araceli was strong as her mother Carmen, and Yasha Alaniz brought an interesting joy to Estela. Rounding out the ensemble was Amy Melendrez as Rosali and Laura Vega as Pancha. These two made you really believe that they were friends. The direction by Corky Dominguez demonstrated he was familiar with the play, and knew how to bring out the characters as real.
The set (designed by César Retana-Holguín) was realistic; my wife noted that they were using real industrial sewing machines (powered by imagination), set up properly. Costumes also appeared realistic and appropriate for the time. I appreciated the makeup work that deemphasized existing skin art, which was less prevalent in the time of the play.
Overall, this was a wonderful play: it now makes me want to watch the movie, and I increasingly hope someone mounts the recent musical (which, alas, didn’t do well in a crowded Broadway season and thus didn’t mount a tour). Hopefully, a local theatre company will choose to produce the musical (I’ve heard rumors this might be happening, which makes me happy). But until that happens, we’ll have to be satisfied with this excellent production of the original play.
Go see this show. Casa 0101 needs your support, and seeing this production is a great way of doing it. This is our fourth show at Casa: We saw a bilingual production of Aladdin ages ago, as well as Remembering Boyle Heights and Sister Act. They bring talent and heart to all their shows, and we need to remember to go there more often (and a hint — go down a few blocks and have dinner at Casa Fina beforehand, which was started by Josefina López as well). Real Women Have Curves is yet another example of the excellent productions at Casa 0101, and the story it tells is perhaps more important today as when it was first written in 1988. The show continues through May 3, 2026, and there are both English and Spanish versions. More information is available through the Casa 0101 website, although I seem to recall it may be sold out through the rest of the run.
Next up at Casa 0101 is Soul Sacrifice, running May 29 – June 21, 2026. The synopsis is: “Nine-year-old Connie doesn’t know what to do about her world falling apart. Her older brother, Luie, has been drafted into the Vietnam War, her father is drinking, her mother spends hours praying, and her siblings, Ben and Rachel, respond differently. Ben is protesting while Rachel’s focus is on Victor, who’s also been drafted, filling their home with tense silences and raised voices. Set against the backdrop of Vietnam and the Chicano Movement, Connie watches her family unravel under the weight of war, activism, grief, and ultimately witnesses the resilience of family.” More information here.
Credits
Real Women Have Curves. Written by Josefina López. Directed by Corky Dominguez. Produced by Emmanuel Deleage.
Cast (æ indicates members of Actors Equity): Stefany Arroya Ana; Yasha Alanizæ Estela; Blanca Araceliæ Carmen; Amy Melendrez Rosali; Laura Vegaæ Pancha; Mariana Montes Sandoval u/s Estela / Carmen / Pancha ; Gabriela Machuca u/s Ana / Rosali.
Production and Creative: Josefina López Casa 0101 Artistic Director / Playwright; Emmanuel Deleage Producer / Executive Director; Corky Dominguez Director; Angelica Ornelas Stage Manager; Joy V. Diaz Asst Stage Manager; Doreen Sanchez Asst Stage Manager; Andy James Garcia Prop Manager; Alejandro Parra Lighting Designer; Miguel Angel Delgado Sound Designer / Technical Director; César Retana-Holguín Scenic Designer; Jeremiah Ocañas Set Construction; Tony Iniguez Costume Designer; Abel Alvarado Asst Costume Designer; Itzel Ocampo Graphic Designer / Marketing & Operations Manager; Edward Padilla Casting Director; Steve Moyer Public Relations Press Representative; Mark Kraus Development Director; Karla “Ojeda” Melendez Program Administrator; Jorge Villanueva Facilities Manager; Oscar Basulto Box Office Manager.
Administrivia
I am not a professional critic. I’m a retired cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; BIH/Pantages; Pasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, Chromolume Theatre, and 5-Star Theatricals.
Want to find a show: Check out the Theatre Commons LA show list. Other good lists are the Theatre in LA listings; the TodayTix listings; OnStage 411 (use the “shows” drop down); and Theatermania.
I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.
Upcoming
Key: ♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending).
- May: ♦ Falstaff at LA Opera; ♦ The Sound of Music at BIH/Pantages; ♦ Brigadoon at The Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ Fat Ham at Black Reperatory Theatre (St. Louis) ♦ Hells Kitchen at BIH/Pantages.
- June: ♦⊕ Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Ebony Rep; ♦ Elegies at Chromolume; ♦ Primary Trust at CTG/Taper; ♦ Mamma Mia at CTG/Ahmanson; plus whatever I schedule from the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
- July: ♦ Mexodus at Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ The Wizard of Oz at 5-Star Theatricals; ♦ If/Then at Chromolume Theatre.
- August: ♦ Beauty and the Beast at BIH/Pantages;
This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🎭 Worth and Beauty in All Things | "Real Women Have Curves" @ Casa 0101 by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.