[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Josefina López, the celebrated Mexican-American award-winning playwright and screenwriter best known for creating and authoring the play and co-authoring the film Real Women Have Curves and Founding Artistic Director of CASA 0101 Theater, will make her Broadway debut on Sunday, April 27, 2025.
López was undocumented for 13 years before she received Amnesty in 1987, eventually becoming a U.S. Citizen in 1995. It was 37 years ago in March of 1988, at the age of 18, when Josefina López presented some scenes from her play in progress, Real Women Have Curves, at the INTAR (International Arts Relations) Hispanic Playwrights in Residence Laboratory led by playwright María Irene Fornés in New York City. By June of 1988, López presented her first full draft of the play at INTAR.
Like the leading protagonist Ana García in her play and film, who wins a journalism fellowship that takes her to New York City. Now, 37 years after she created the play, Josefina López, who is the model for the character of Ana García, will return to New York City, where, at the age of 18, she dreamed that one day her play would become a Broadway musical. Her original play and 2002 Sundance Film Festival Audience and Jury Award-winning film of the same name, written with George LaVoo, are the source materials for the new Broadway show, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, opening on Sunday, April 27, 2025 at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York City. Learn more about the musical at https://realwomenhavecurvesbroadway.com/
“My original play and screenplay are a microcosm of the Latina immigrant experience, celebrating real women’s bodies, the power of women, and the incredible bond that happens when women work together, all of which I feel are topical in today’s world we live in,” says Josefina López. “The women I worked with in a small sewing factory in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, taught me many valuable life lessons, which I still carry with me to this day. I am so grateful to have my story told on a Broadway stage, bringing positive worldwide attention to my beautiful community of Boyle Heights, which I am so proud to be a part of with my CASA 0101 Theater where we champion women’s and Latinx voices and storytelling. My motto is: Create, Elevate, Celebrate.”
“The synchronicity of how things are aligning for me all at the same time is truly kismet. It was on April 1, 2000, that I signed the lease for my CASA 0101 Theater, which is now celebrating its 25th anniversary season,” López added.
“It is at my theater where some of the earliest performances of my play Real Women Have Curves were presented. Now, 25 years later, on April 1, 2025, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical will begin preview performances on Broadway.”
Josefina López will return to INTAR Theatre, where she was mentored 37 years ago, to teach free classes in playwriting to INTAR artists from April 7 – June 23, 2025, on Monday nights from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. EST. On Friday, April 11, 2025, Josefina López, and other well-known former students of the Hispanic Playwrights in Residence Laboratory, which was once led by María Irene Fornés, will participate in an event produced by INTAR Theatre. More details will soon be announced. Learn more at www.intartheatre.org
Josefina López will be signing copies of her play, Real Women Have Curves and doing a Q&A at The Drama Book Shop, 266 West 39th Street, New York, New York 10018 on Monday, April 14, 2025, from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. EST. Reservations for the book signing can be made at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1293028616399
López’s feature film 20 Pounds To Happiness (Eat. Love. Joy.), a companion piece to her film, Real Women Have Curves, is in post-production. López serves as executive producer and writer of the film and Yelyna De Leon serves as producer, director and star of the film.
Later in the year, Josefina López will present the world premiere of a 10-minute play festival celebrating the life and legacy of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela and his impact on the Latino community, including a 10-minute play written by Josefina López entitled Fernandomania Forever, to be presented at her CASA 0101 Theater in the Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, September 12 – 28, 2025 in observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Also, the world premiere production of Josefina López’s latest play, Electrico, directed by Corky Dominguez, will be presented October 10 – November 2, 2025. Josefina López is also developing a new musical with composer Jaime Lozano, and she’s at work on her autobiography, Real Women Have Courage. In addition, she is writing a new autobiographical play about her parents entitled A Mexican Goodbye.
Stay up to date with Josefina López
www.Josefinalopez.biz | https://www.instagram.com/josefinalopezrwhc/
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