THEATER REVIEW : ‘Real Women’ a Loving Memory Play

The heat is unbearable and the deadline is almost past. The product is due, the equipment isn’t paid for and La Migra may be at the door. What else is there to do but strip down to your undies and dance?

In “Real Women Have Curves,” humor is survival and in sisterhood there is strength. Five Latinas toil in an East L.A. sweatshop, working overtime to finish an order of petite pink satin dresses. Their task underscores their plight: They can neither afford nor fit into these frocks. It’s a metaphor for their new American life.

But they also have universal female concerns, from cellulite to contraception, anorexia to abortion, sexual obligation to spousal abuse. In a powerful display of feminist defiance, they bare their flawed bodies and celebrate their unity, individuality and potential to pursue the American dream.

Playwright Josefina Lopez created the autobiographical piece five years ago, when she was 19. It’s a touching, humorous memory play, a loving look at hard-working immigrant women. Through her alter ego, Ana, Lopez preaches empowerment. At San Diego Repertory Theatre, Lopez plays Ana. Like the title character in Lopez’s “Simply Maria,” Ana doesn’t feel she belongs in her mundane world; she wants to be a writer.

Her diary readings make the implicit unnecessarily explicit. Not quite trusting her audience, Lopez hammers home the lessons of her play. This, like the overabundance of issues, may be attributed to youth. But there is confidence and maturity in her snappy dialogue and her ability to create real characters with real concerns.

The play demands ensemble work, which was not yet evident on opening night. But the warmth and camaraderie grew during the evening. Director William Alejandro Virchis has given a lot of latitude to his cast. Lopez the actor is not as convincing as Lopez the playwright, but very strong performances are turned in by Roxane Carrasco as the oversexed Rosali and Lupe Ontiveros as Ana’s hilarious mother, Carmen.

John Iacovelli has designed a deliciously detailed set, suitably lit by Brenda Berry. Dione Lebhar’s costumes befit the characters, but Debby Van Poucke’s sound design is unimaginative. Here the text, rightfully, takes center stage. In a modulated, less strident voice, playwright Lopez continues to challenge the sexual-political status quo, not just for Latinas, but for all real women.

* “Real Women Have Curves,” San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Lyceum Space, Horton Plaza, San Diego. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7 p.m. Ends April 24. $18-24. (619) 235-8025. Running Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes.