Art is one of the most powerful parts of the human experience
It has the otherwise unmatched power to cause us to feel and inspire us to act through nothing more than words on a page, brush strokes on a canvas or lines spoken in a certain order.
The best works of art often serve as mirrors to our soul, looking deep inside of us and reflecting on the parts that even we may not want to see or acknowledge.
This then forces us to confront these problems and, hopefully, conquer them. This is where the North Lake theater department’s fall show- “Real Women Have Curves,” by Josefina Lopez, meets us.
Debuting in the 90s, “Real Woman Have Curves” is a play about five immigrant women working in a dress shop.
“So at North Lake we actually do a lot of comedic shows,” Cecilia Nguyen, who plays Rosali, says “And I think it is really important to occasionally have these shows that address deep topics”.
Throughout the 90-minute play, we see the women confront different challenges including the struggle of being immigrants working towards a new future for themselves and their family, those battling with unrealistic body standards and as people trying to make their dreams come true despite the odds that are stacked against them.
“In the beginning, we have a table read. I decided to have three table reads so we can have discussions about each character,” Dr. Sherry Boyd said.
As director, it was important for her to make sure her cast understood the play and their role in it.
She had each cast member look deeply into their character, their relationship with the other cast members and themselves.
“When I look at the whole play, every actor has to look at, for the entire play, what is my objective? What is my obstacle? How will I conquer that obstacle, and will I conquer it at all?” Boyd said.
For most of the cast, this was not an unfamiliar story.
“My family were immigrants. My mom was (an) immigrant,” Nguyen stated, “She was actually a seamstress before she had me and all of our characters are seamstresses. You would not believe the amount of hours and effort that goes into this.”
Nguyen is not the only cast member who could relate to this story.
“I know as a kid I was really, really big and everything, so I was like the ‘big person’ in the group as well,” stated Ariel Velez, who plays Pancha. “So I had that same sort of like, you ignore it through humor.”
When asked about the selection of the play for this semester, Boyd said “I like that it looks at women’s relationships. I like that it looks at generational relationships- of mother/ daughter, friends across three generations. I like that it talks about immigration, and I like that it talks about women’s bodies.”
While this play is now 34-years old, the issues are still relevant.
“I’m a little insecure, but playing this role has helped me be more confident in myself, and basically that it’s okay, anybody, any size, any color, whatever, its fine. It’s okay. Just be yourself,” Erika Tejada, who plays Ana, said.
While the play centers around five Hispanic women, “Real Women Have Curves” is not a play limited to from a specific ethnic background or a gender.
“The first time I read the play, it was hard for me to think as a woman, because this is a play made for women,” stage manager Camilo Ramos said. “But, looking into some resources to help my actors with this play, I realized that it’s not a gender struggle. It’s something that can go beyond that.”
Plays have always been used as a tool used to discuss and spread awareness for sensitive issues that matter.
North Lake Campus’ production of “Real Women Have Curves” does that in a way that honors the important contents of the play, while also being approachable to its audience.
Discussing these issues and reaching out for help can feel scary.
If it’s something students need to discuss, the North Lake Campus counseling services are available by calling 972-669-6400 or by email at [email protected].
Resources for those with eating disorders are available at https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/.
