Since it’s world premiere performance at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in 1990, Josefina López’s signature play Real Women Have Curves has become a cultural touchstone—evolving from a celebrated stage play into an award-winning 2002 film and a Tony-nominated Broadway musical in 2025. This this spring it returns to Los Angeles with a new production at CASA 0101’s Gloria Molina Theater, running March 27–May 3, 2026, with select performances presented in Spanish. ¡Que suave!

Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Real Women Have Curves tells of five curvy Latinas working in a tiny sewing factory 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.

Creator and playwright Josefina López still marvels at the lasting impact of her landmark work. “When I wrote the first words of Real Women Have Curves in March 1988, I felt divinely guided to share my story,” she said. “I never envisioned the lasting impact and topical relevance my words would have this many years later.” López began writing the play at 18, inspired by the humorous yet revealing experiences she recorded while working in her sister’s sewing factory in East Los Angeles. Channeling her frustrations with machismo, racism, Hollywood’s objectification of women, and her own experience as an undocumented young woman, she shaped a story that would connect deeply with audiences.

Looking back, López believes the play’s enduring appeal lies in its celebration of women’s lives and evolving identities. “It reflects the four stages of womankind, the challenges of transitioning to the next stage and embracing the natural and organic process of aging and coming into our own wisdom,” she said. Inspired by her mother, sister, and the women around her, López now sees the play as “a sacred dance of feminine energy and camaraderie” that helps liberate women from shame—especially about their bodies.

Real Women’s unique message of body positivity, strength in the face of oppression and the power of the immigrant dream has resonated so profoundly over the decades that it has had nearly 130 professional and regional productions.  

Thi six week run at CASA 0101 stars Stefany Arroyo (Ana García), Yasha Alaniz (Estela García), Bianca Araceli (Carmen García,)  Amy Melendrez (Rosalí), Laura Vega (Pancha)  – and featuring, on stage for the first time, the original sewing machine that once belonged to Josefina López’s late mother, Catalina Perales López, who was the model for the character of Carmen García.  So, this is a distinctive cast in a story that takes on new relevancy in these challenging times.   Creatives behind the curtain boasts a talented team of creatives, including set designer César Rentana-Holguín, lighting designer Alejandro Parra, costume designer Tony Iniguez, and graphic designer Itzel Ocampo.

Heading this powerful artistic team is CASA’s longtime associate, director Corky Dominguez talked about working with Lopez, “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.  He also find a deeper corrolation, given to 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 take away for audience members who come to see our production!”

As an ardent fan of Ms. Lopez’s writing, this journalist is personally overjoyed that Real Women is returning to Los Angeles, the place where this story was born and where it can play to a hometown audience who’s always responded to its enduring message.  I’m also extremely excited to announce a very special upcoming event, titled, Curves in Concert taking place on March 20th at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California. This very special, one-time only performance will reunite members of the original Broadway cast of Real Women Have Curves:  The Musical as they sing selections from Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez’s Tony Nominated score.  I caught the Broadway production and can highly recommend this special night directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Sergio Trujillo, who helmed the show in New York.  The concert will be followed by a talk-back with Ms. Lopez.

FOR ALL SHOW INFO: www.casa0101.org

Real Women Have Curves
Gloria Molina Auditorium at CASA 0101 Theater
2102 East First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033

ENGLISH PERFORMANCES: Fridays & Saturdays @ 8:00 pm. on March 27 – May 3, 2026; Sundays @ 2:00 pm on March 29 & April 5, 2026; Sundays @ 7:00 p.m. on April 12, 19, 26 & May 3, 2026.  Playwright Josefina López will be doing a Talk Back after the Matinee performances on Sunday, March 29th and April 5th.
SPANISH PERFORMANCES: Sundays @ 2:00 p.m. on April 12, 19, 26 & May 3, 2026.  

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Fernandomania, now playing at Casa 0101 Theater, offers a unique and heartfelt theatrical tribute to Mexican-born Major League Baseball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, whose meteoric rise to fame in the 1980s captured the imagination of fans worldwide. Conceived by Artistic Director and award-winning playwright Josefina López (Real Women Have Curves), the production weaves López’s throughline of muralist Roberto Vargas as he tries to finish Valenzuela’s mural before the legend passes, with twelve world-premiere playlets penned by a diverse group of Los Angeles writers. The result is a collage of perspectives that illuminates Valenzuela’s legacy not only as an athlete, but as a cultural touchstone for the Latino community.

The writing team spans from seasoned playwrights to first-time community writers, underscoring the communal nature of the project. Among the contributors is Valenzuela’s daughter, Maria Fernanda Valenzuela, whose piece Linda emerges as one of the production’s most personal and affecting entries. In it, Fernando (portrayed by Edward Navarrete) is seen in the early days of his career, leaving behind his beloved in Mexico as he is recruited by the Dodgers, only to return years later with a marriage proposal. The story, told through the lens of Maria Fernanda, movingly charts the couple’s journey through Fernando’s career ascent and their life together until his passing this year.

Each of the playlets, drawn from memories and reflections of what Valenzuela meant to the writers, is directed by a different artist, giving the program a broad stylistic range.

Of note is director Vance Valencia, helms three standout works. Kimberly Huff’s Safe at Home delivers emotional resonance, while Our Playground written by Dr. Connie Valencia reimagines the world of Latina baseball players in a manner reminiscent of A League of Their Own, yet firmly grounded in cultural specificity. Most striking, however, is La Habra Ass Foos by Don Huesos—a raucous, high-energy exploration of Chicano identity that electrified the audience. Navarrete, doubling here as the quintessential Chicano character Gabe, commanded the stage with humor and authenticity, demonstrating impressive range alongside his portrayal of Valenzuela.

While the evening varies in polish from piece to piece, as might be expected from a collection of multiple writers and directors, the overall impact is one of celebration, memory, and cultural pride. Fernandomania succeeds not only as a theatrical experiment but also as a community-driven homage to an icon who continues to inspire across generations.

Fernandomania runs through September 21 at Casa 0101 Theater. For admirers of Fernando Valenzuela, and for anyone interested in witnessing a diverse chorus of voices come together to honor a legend, this production is a meaningful tribute well worth experiencing.

Directors of FERNANDOMANIA include:  Emmanuel Deleage (of Silver Lake, CA); Carmelita Maldonado (of El Sereno, CA); Karla Ojeda (of East Los Angeles, CA) and Vance Valencia (of Boyle Heights).

Playwrights include:  Josefina López (of Boyle Heights) (Fernandomania Forever), which anchors the show playing out in 12 transitional scenes between each play throughout Act I and Act II; Maria Fernanda Valenzuela (of Hollywood, CA) (Fernando and Linda Valenzuela’s youngest daughter) (Linda); Oscar Arguello (of La Puente, CA) (No Sabo) (I Don’t Know); Chris Banda (of West Covina, CA) (Blue Days); Gloria Isabel Briseño (of Inglewood, CA) (Nando); Ignacio Gonzalez (of Downey, CA) (Beisbol y Novelas) (Baseball and Mexican Soap Operas); Kimberly Huff (of Azusa, CA) (Safe At Home); Jose Luis Lopez, Jr. (of Riverside, CA) (From Somewhere); Christopher John Magallanes (aka Don Heusos) (of Montebello, CA) (La Habra Ass Foos); Celina Martinez (of Silver Lake, CA) (A Good Hero/Un Buen Heroe); Michael St. Onge (of Fontana, CA) (Once Upon A Time in LA); and Dr. Connie Valencia (of South Los Angeles, CA) (Our Playground).

The Cast of FERNANDOMANIA includes:  Adlih Alvarado (of Hollywood, CA); Yasha Alaniz (of Van Nuys, CA); Luis Galilei (of Los Angeles, CA); Veli Gonzalez (of Nuys, CA); Phoenix Marroquin (of South Central Los Angeles, CA); Evelyn Menchaca (of Pico Rivera, CA); Gabriel Montoya (of Sherman Oaks, CA); Martin Morales (of Silver Lake, CA); Jose Nateras (of North Hollywood, CA); Edward Navarrete (of Northridge, CA); Eugene Antonio Negrete (of East Los Angeles, CA); Itzel Ocampo (of Alhambra, CA); Jeremiah Ocañas (of Boyle Heights); Gabriela Pedraza (of Burbank, CA); Alejandro Reynoso (of Santa Ana, CA) and Laura Vega (of Pasadena, CA).

Tickets are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fernandomania-tickets-1402491031429?aff=oddtdtcreator

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No one ever accused activist-artist Odalys Nanin of lacking passion. A talented and tenacious producer, playwright, actor, and director, Nanin has kept the flame of LGBT theater alive through hell and high water, loss of lease, financial challenges, and a pandemic, to triumph. Her theatrical productions are a celebration of extraordinary women, and she ranks among them, keeping their flames ablaze. Her current play, The Nun and the Countess, runs at Casa 0101 through November 7.

The Nun and the Countess is based on the novel Sor Juana’s Second Dream by Alicia Gaspar de Alba and co-directed by Corky Dominguez with Nanin. 

Like other MACHA productions, The Nun and the Countess tells the intimate story of a female famous icon. In this case, Doña Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez de Santillana, better known as Sor Juana Inez. Born 1651 in Tepetlixpa, Mexico, she died of the plague in 1695 but left a huge legacy of literature and music, not to mention a burning secret. 

In Mexico’s 100 peso bill, Sor Juana is acknowledged as a true master of the Spanish Golden Age, as a Hieronymite nun, author, philosopher, composer, and poet.  She reigns in death as the first feminist of the new world and most prolific author of the entire history of the Spanish Americas.  On Nanin’s stage, she is the lover of a charismatic countess. Sor Juana’s poems to Lysi (Countess de Paredes) are woven into the play’s dialogue. Nanin adds with a touch of irony, “She’s become so famous that Mexico City just erected a statue of her on the main Ave of Mexico”. 

Sor Juana’s poetry is taught to schoolchildren who likely do not [yet] know her ‘intimate’ history but are taught to memorize her immortal words in Hombres Necios /You Foolish Men: 

“You foolish men who lay the guilt on women, not seeing you’re the cause. of the very thing you blame; if you invite their disdain….”

Sor Juana Inez

At the end of this run, Nanin next prepares for a presentation for Mexico of her most popular and critically acclaimed work, Frida – Stroke of Passion. Produced at Casa 0101, Nanin also wrote and starred in this critics’ and audiences’ favorite which had a hugely successful run.    

Nanin likes to believe that Kahlo watches over her, she considers her a muse and a constant presence. “Frida is an angel. She really is a powerful person spiritually and I’m saying it because when I did Frida -Stroke of Passion-and I did it three times-every night was sold out,” she tells us. Nanin is also writing a TV pilot based on that work; 

Nanin’s award-winning productions at her MACHA Theatre/Film (Mujeres Advancing Culture History and Art) go back decades. “Back in 1997, I realized that there were no stories or space to present the Latino LGBT,” she recounted. “I created a space where Latinx LGBT community can come and watch the stories in a safe environment”.  In 2020 Nanin received a grant from the Astraea Foundation and MACHA was born.  MACHA’s 17 years in the West Hollywood location ended at the brink of the pandemic.

Nanin was heartbroken at first but then as the crisis took hold, she saw the silver lining. “Theater is in the heart, it’s not a building, at least the burden of paying rent on an unused theatre space was lifted. “For 20 months we were dark”. 

Nanin’s current re-mounting of The Nun and the Countess ran at the Casa 0101 theater founded by fellow playwright and producer, Josefina Lopez. Nanin assures us it’s a great fit. “I’ve known Josefina for years, and I wanted to support her, so I applied for some grants, and they came in and I was able to produce”. 

It is obvious there is no stopping Nanin’s visionary work.

For more information and tickets, visit www.machatheatre.org

Judi Jordan, a Santa-Monica based journalist, screenwriter, book editor and avid traveler, covers the Oscars, Television Academy events and has written for The Hollywood Reporter, Latin Style, Estylo, Latino Leaders and Gayot. A fan of history, opera, Spain, art, TV, film and wine, she returns to Latin Heat.com as Entertainment Editor. See more at judijordan.com 

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July 19 through August 11, 2019
TICKETS

Casa 0101
2102 East 1st Street 
Los Angeles, CA 90033

A mere 30 years ago, the iconic Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali left us. Or did he?

The play, To Be Dali begins as Dali takes his last breath and is then transported through space to the afterlife where he is met by two angels who are there to determine his fate. Will he rise to enlightenment, or be sent back to Earth as a lower life form?

The play will be presented at CASA 0101 Theater in Los Angeles, running from July 19th to August 11th.

Award-winning actor Salvador Benavides directs and plays his namesake in the role of Dali. Benavides, who bears a striking resemblance in appearance to the painter, co-wrote the play with Eric Yost.

To be Dali celebrates the genius, madness, joys, and sorrows of the wild and beautiful artist that was Salvador Dali and reminds us of our shared humanity.” –Salvador Benavides

The production explores Dali’s complicated relationships with his family, his wife Gala, the art world, and himself. The show uses original music, dance, movement, puppetry, and song as it takes the audience on flashbacks to Dali’s childhood, memories of fame and fortune, moments of loss and mourning, and a wild dream with images of Dali’s own artwork brought to life.

Benavides is repped by Ayers Talent Agency. His TV credits include Criminal Minds, Undercovers and Film credits The Holy Man, Delusions of Grandeur, Dandelion Dharma, among others.

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We all think we know about Frida. But Odalys Nanin’s Frida Stroke of Passion production at Casa 0101 takes you beyond what you know and gives you insight into the last week of Frida’s painful end. When this play was last seen in 2017, it ran for three months. Unfortunately, this production of Macha Theater’s Frida Stroke of Passion at Casa 0101 which runs Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays is all sold out!

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who painted many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Born in 1907 with polio, she was destined to live her life in pain after a traffic accident at age eighteen caused lifelong pain and medical problems. She joined the  Mexican Communist Party, which led to her meeting her future husband and fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera. She traveled abroad where her art gained international acclaim and picked up more popularity after her death.

There is a lot to love about this production; the constant drama, the pain of both body and soul, and Frida’s love of life moments — all delivered by a talented cast of twelve.

Nanin embodies the spirit of Frida in a nuanced performance and transformational portrayal. Sandra Valls stands out as famous Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, and one of Frida’s lovers.

As Frida’s life comes to an end so does the play with an unforgettable wake and procession that will stay with you long after the play has ended. Chavela is there to honor Frida with accented her beautifully haunting song as the cast of characters in Frida’s live all pay tribute to an icon in the art world, who inspired a nation by representing their culture, while bold examining the issues of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society.

The small procession of Frida’s funeral attended by all her loves, beginning with her “Toad Face” Diego Rivera (Oscar Basulto). Also joining in are Frida’s other lovers Tina Modotti (Mantha Balourdou); Josephine Baker (Ebony Perry); Maria Felix (Marjorie Burgos); Cuban Teresa Proenza (Kesia Elwin); and her Nurse Judith (Tricia Cruz).

But this is hopefully not the end of Frida Stroke of Passion, it must live on in another production! Make sure you catch that one.

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