AMERICAN THEATRE | Josefina López: The Arts Can’t Be Left to the Privileged

Josefina López accommodates multitudes. The versatile writer-actor-producer, greatest identified for the 1990 play Real Women Have Curves in addition to the screenplay for the favored movie model (which launched America Ferrera and lately celebrated its twentieth anniversary), got here by TCG’s New York places of work lately, ostensibly to speak about Remembering Boyle Heights: Part 2, a historic anthology present now operating at Casa 0101, the theatre she based within the East Los Angeles neighborhood of its title, via Dec. 18. The present, created by herself with director Corky Dominguez and an ensemble of younger writer-performers, collects the tales of the neighborhood and its residents from post-WWII up via the early 2000s, from a celebration of Mariachi Square to the restoration of such misplaced tales because the pressured sterilization of Mexican American girls and the gender-bending model of pachucas (basically, the feminine equal of the Nineteen Forties-era Zoot suit-wearing Chicanos), from the testimony of road distributors to the oral historical past of the East L.A. punk scene.

But our dialog additionally couldn’t assist ranging broadly, from her biography as an undocumented immigrant to her experiences writing for tv (which included a long-ago stint on In Living Single and will quickly embrace a spot within the writers’ room for The Madonnas of Echo Park), to the tough mission she’s taken on: to convey superb arts and superb eating to her house group with out gentrifying it. The event for her journey to NYC was a studying of a brand new musical adaptation of Real Women, with a guide by Lisa Loomer, songs by Benjamin Velez and Joy Huerta, and path by Sergio Trujillo, so we began out speaking about that.

Our dialog has been edited for concision and readability.

ROB WEINERT-KENDT: You’re on the town for the studying of a musical of Real Women Have Curves, however you’re not writing the guide. How have you ever been concerned?

JOSEFINA LÓPEZ: I’ve been taking a look at drafts and giving notes to Lisa Loomer. Because, you understand, I used to be undocumented. I’ve a really distinctive expertise, and the present comes from my life. So there are a whole lot of stunning issues, however there are little issues the place I am going: Okay, an undocumented individual is all the time hiding, in order that they wouldn’t do one thing as frivolous as this—one thing that you just assume is cute and humorous, and actually works for a Broadway present, however an undocumented individual could be like, “You don’t do that, because you’re scared.” Tiny notes like that.

I do know you may have a TV challenge within the works, however it’s been a very long time because you labored in TV, proper?

When I used to be 21, I labored on Living Single. It was very arduous to be 21 and Latina. Basically in all places I went, I used to be the one lady or the one Latina, and in addition the youngest individual. So I form of needed to stroll away from TV. It was an setting the place my opinion was virtually invisible, virtually unheard. For me, theatre is sacred, as a result of it’s the place I am going to heal. After that have on TV exhibits, I simply was like, I need to go do theatre, as a result of that’s the place you construct group. That’s the place you may have catharsis. That’s the place you may have satisfaction as nicely; you see your performs produced. I’ve been working as a screenwriter for over 30 years, and I imply, thank God Real Women Have Curves obtained made as a film and was so profitable, however I’ve written over 20 screenplays and 10 TV pilots that haven’t seen the sunshine of day, as a result of they’re about girls, they’re Latino, they’re too controversial or provocative, or not industrial sufficient, or no matter excuse.

One 12 months, after I was 25, I had TV offers with three totally different networks in three totally different genres, and none of them obtained picked up. We have been working with Norman Lear, who was championing the sitcom conversion of Real Women Have Curves, however even with Norman Lear, we couldn’t get a TV present on the air. I did 18-hour days for six months making an attempt to jot down three TV pilots, and it simply burned me out. Then I went again my barrio; I went again to reside at house with my mother and father. It was a really humbling expertise. And then I mainly began doing theatre and poetry and efficiency.

But that was a return, proper? You’d completed theatre earlier than.

I began doing theatre very early on; I went to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, so I’d been doing theatre since I used to be 15. I went to Shakespeare camp after I was 16 in Ashland, Ore., and after I graduated from the highschool for the humanities, I got here to NYU to review playwriting. I didn’t prefer it; I didn’t slot in. It’s so fantastic the way it’s all about inclusion and variety now, however again then I used to be such a uncommon fish.

It sounds such as you have been forward of your time.

I’m all the time forward of my time. That’s my downside.

Writers’ rooms on TV have gotten significantly better, from what I perceive.

Oh my God, I’m so jealous of all of the younger writers which might be beginning now. I really feel like I needed to face the slings and arrows—I inform individuals, I’m Wonder Woman, I stroll right into a room, the minority, the lady, the working-class individual, and I’m mainly taking all of the bullets, after which I’m opening the door and saying, “Get in, get in!” That’s been my expertise: I’m very outspoken, and I don’t get employed, however they rent the individual behind me.

In Remembering Boyle Heights, the story of Laurie, who talks about being introduced right here by her mother and father and never realizing she was undocumented—that’s your story, isn’t it?

That is unquestionably my story. I’m mainly a personality, and so is Prof. George Sanchez, however within the play we name him Professor Fong. But it’s positively my story. I’ve had all these identities. I’m Chicano, Mexican, Latina. I’m additionally Latinx. I’m additionally an Indigenous individual. So I carry all these identities, and I do know precisely what all of them imply. I’m all of them, you understand?

As an editor, I attempt to name individuals no matter they select to be known as—even when, in Florida, as an example, many of us name themselves Hispanic, although I consider that extra as a linguistic class.

Well, the opposite actuality is that Latino individuals who come from privilege honor the European, white facet, and so they are inclined to be sure to know they arrive from Spain, as a result of they’ve all these different privileges, particularly in Cuba and in New Mexico, the place they are saying, “No, no, we really look white, and we’re Spanish, we never went through Mexico.” But Hispanic is a really offensive phrase to people who find themselves activists and Indigenous individuals.

I do know that the parents at Bilingual Foundation of the Arts out in L.A. are inclined to embrace the time period.

Well, they by no means produced my performs. They principally do works by Latin American writers.

Similar to Repertorio Español in New York City.

Yes, as a result of often those that do theatre are privileged individuals, the bourgeoisie—fresas. But I’m an undocumented individual, a working-class one who grew up within the hood, the barrio. It’s very uncommon that somebody like me will get to open a theatre in their very own group in English, with some Spanish.

I additionally know the parents from Latino Theater Company, and Diane Rodriguez, who began out in El Teatro Campesino. Some of them have privileged backgrounds, however they’ve additionally been a part of that collective theatremaking custom.

Yes, however the actuality is that I couldn’t get produced in L.A., even by the Latino theatre firms, so I used to be pressured begin my very own theatre firm. The different factor is that these Latino theatre firms—and I’m not saying all of them, and I don’t need to title any particular one—mainly need to do theatre for middle-class Latinos who can afford theatre tickets. So I mainly stated: You know what, I’m a group theatre. I don’t assume group theatre is a grimy phrase. I’m very pleased with the group work that we do. We modified the narrative in Boyle Heights. The 5 o’clock information would solely cowl the drive-bys. When I used to be rising up, the one time Boyle Heights was talked about was a drive-by right here, drive-by there. So I needed to say, “Come show the celebrations, come show the victories, come show our community—all the beautiful things that you don’t get to see that I get to see.” That’s what my work is about.

And that’s if you based CASA 0101?

I obtained the lease in April 2000, however in 2002, we began producing Real Women Have Curves and constantly began doing exhibits 12 months spherical. Then in 2011, we opened the massive 99-seat theatre throughout the road.

I do know Real Women has had many stage productions because the film got here out, however it was a play earlier than it was a film, proper?

It began as a play that I wrote on the Intar Hispanic Playwrights Workshop again in 1988. I labored with Irene Fornés making ready a primary draft, after which I workshopped it later with Teatro de la Esperanza in San Francisco. They did the world premiere in May of 1990, and even earlier than the play opened, I obtained a name from Warner Bros., as a result of there was an article in The Pink Pages in San Francisco, and so they have been asking me if the film rights have been out there. It hadn’t even opened! I suppose they have been pondering, how the hell does a 21-year-old younger lady who was undocumented and dealing in a stitching manufacturing facility write a play about her life, and it’s about braveness and dignity and the worth of ladies? So they learn the play and so they have been ; it was optioned for a film and I obtained to jot down the screenplay, and 11 years later, via a bunch of various producers and studios, it lastly obtained made, with the assistance of producer George LaVoo, who was my co-writer on the screenplay.

I don’t know the entire story of your undocumented standing. Can you inform me about that?

So my mother and father introduced me and my brother—I’ve seven siblings—to the U.S. I used to be 5 after I got here, and I didn’t know I used to be undocumented till I used to be perhaps 10 or 11. When my sister tried to go to school, that’s additionally after I came upon, oh, wow, it’s actually arduous. I’m not gonna be capable to go to school; I can’t get monetary support. I used to be very scared.

So you have been what we now name a DREAMer, basically?

I inform individuals I used to be a DREAMer earlier than it was cool to be a DREAMer. They simply known as us wetbacks then.

But you may have your citizenship now.

Yes. At 18 I certified for the Simpson-Mazzoli amnesty invoice and obtained my inexperienced card; I turned a U.S. citizen in 1995. When I first obtained my inexperienced card, I used to be within the stitching manufacturing facility. I stated, “I want to celebrate this moment, because it sucks that this little card that has my name on it makes me a human being, that now I get some degree of respect.” When I used to be within the stitching manufacturing facility, many of the girls have been making use of, and my sister, who was the boss of the manufacturing facility, was the final one to use. My mom made this joke that, wouldn’t it’s humorous if ICE—it was known as INS or La Migra again then—however what in the event that they got here and as an alternative of taking the staff, like they often do, they take the boss? We all began laughing. And I stated: That’s the premise. That’s the plot for Real Women Have Curves.

The different factor is that we laughed rather a lot; we all the time instructed jokes. My mom would say the raunchiest issues! It was the primary time I had been in an setting full of ladies. I used to be very athletic, so I used to be all the time the one lady on boys’ groups. I used to be all the time round males; I used to be often the captain. So to be in an setting for the ladies, the place there was softness and vulnerability, I noticed the worth of ladies, the ability of ladies working collectively. 

The play and the film are fairly totally different, so what’s the musical going to be like?

What’s stunning is that as a result of I’ve a play and a film, the guide of the musical now combines each issues. And it’s up to date, set within the current. Originally the producers needed to maintain it as near the play as attainable, however they notice now that there are a whole lot of stunning emblems from the film that they should use. So it’s a mix of the 2, with, in fact, Lisa’s tackle it. We now have all these superb girls, who, after Trump gained, stated, “If that bozo can be the president, anybody can—let’s go be leaders.” So it additionally celebrates all of the progress that has occurred for girls’s rights—regardless of the abortion resolution.

Well, I do know Lisa has one other play on that topic that’s getting some new productions. So after NYU, you went to Columbia College in Chicago. Did you see a lot of town’s well-known theatre whilst you have been there?

No; I used to be so broke. I might solely I ever go if I obtained free tickets. But I did get produced at Victory Gardens.

One widespread story about L.A. theatre is that it doesn’t get acknowledged in any respect. Mark Ruffalo did a whole lot of 99-seat theatre however didn’t get consideration from L.A. casting administrators and brokers till he was in This Is Our Youth in New York.

Right, I’ve to make it in New York after which they’ll produce me in L.A., solely 5 minutes from my home. I pointed this out to all of the creative administrators in a public panel at Pasadena Playhouse. We have been speaking about range and inclusion, they have been like, “There’s no prejudice in favor of the East Coast.” I stated, “Bullshit. That’s why I started a theatre company, because you would never produce me.” Everybody applauded. I’m the individual that will name individuals’s shit out, after which I’ll pay the worth. But I’m completely satisfied to try this. I believe that’s my function. I do know that I can produce theatre; I can produce movies. I can mainly do something myself, together with give myself loads of orgasms. I’m fairly unbiased. The purpose I’m not afraid is, I can eat Top Ramen for the remainder of my life; I can eat beans and rice, proper? You don’t scare me, as a result of I’ve by no means had privilege. I’m not afraid to lose something. Maybe that is the function of the author, to say: “Look, you don’t want to see it; I’ll show it to you.” People will assault me, it’s okay. You can’t take me down. I’ve had racism, sexism, each form of ism thrown at me. Now it’s ageism. So I am going: Just attempt taking me down. You can’t.

I learn that you’ve a restaurant too, is that proper?

Yes. I went to Cordon Bleu; I’m a chef. My ex-husband is French American. We have been towards the Iraq struggle; we protested after which we moved to France. We have been going to begin a life in France, and I went to Cordon Bleu. Long story brief, I noticed that as a lot because it sucks to be a Mexican right here, it’s even worse in France. I obtained mistaken for an Arab on a regular basis, and I used to be handled even worse. I used to be like, you gotta go away your nation to like it. So I wrote a novel and I obtained a level from a French cooking college, after which we got here again. And we stated, let’s begin a theatre, however do it professionally. And that’s after we determined to begin Casa 0101. And my favourite restaurant, La Serenata de Garibaldi, which had this unbelievable French Mexican fusion—we came upon that they closed down, went out of enterprise. We didn’t need it to turn out to be an emblem of gentrification; that restaurant changing into a hipster brewery bar or no matter could be just like the nail within the coffin for gentrification. We had been making an attempt to open a French restaurant simply down the road at one other location.

The ridiculous factor is—you understand, after they constructed Los Angeles, they mainly constructed East L.A. to be the servants’ quarters, so there’s no parking, as a result of individuals have been too poor to have vehicles; they’d the purple trolley. So it was created in a means that this group couldn’t thrive. In L.A. you can’t open a restaurant with out parking. We couldn’t even open a theatre with out parking; I needed to go to the Boyle Heights Chamber to beg and cry and say, “Look, we’re trying to open a performing arts center; there are 87 gangs in this community but there’s no theatre, no cultural center. You know why there are 87 gangs? Because they don’t need permits for parking.” Boyle Heights was speculated to be the ghetto. It was created to be a ghetto. And so it’s been my try and convey theatre and superb eating, the attractive experiences that wealthy individuals take as a right—I simply need working-class Latinos to have this. When I lived in Paris, I used to be so amazed; even in the event you’re unemployed, struggling financially, you’ll be able to nonetheless get vouchers to go see a play and go have a pleasant dinner. It’s thought-about a human proper to be impressed, to get enriched. And I keep in mind pondering, wouldn’t that be fantastic if individuals might come have dinner, go to the theatre, see one thing inspiring, and be so impressed that they need to hold the dialog going, and return for drinks and dessert? And wouldn’t it’s nice if the actors had a spot to go? That was my dream, to have a vacation spot. Because in all places else you are able to do that, besides these communities.

I inform those that the rationale I do theatre and the humanities is as a result of I need to remind those that we’re not simply low-cost labor—that now we have a coronary heart, that now we have a soul, that now we have dignity. That we’re greater than your “essential” employees; we’re human beings with desires. And so for me, theatre has been a possibility to provide voice to all this wounding ache and struggling, and to assist individuals see themselves past simply the Mexican who does your soiled work. God gave us presents; we have been endowed with all this magnificence and beauty, and I need to see that onstage. And I would like our tales to encourage, as a result of I inform individuals, look, in our group, you be part of a gang otherwise you be part of the Christian church, proper? To me the theatre is in between. We’re not telling you to affix a gang; we’re not telling you to imagine in Christ. We’re simply telling you to love your self.

Tell me a bit extra about Remembering Boyle Heights.

We’re mainly making an attempt to inform as a lot of the historical past, and herstory, of Boyle Heights. The first half went till 1945, when the Jewish group began leaving, as soon as the housing covenants have been damaged and folks of coloration might transfer west of the L.A. River, and the primary Latino Councilman was elected, Ed Roybal, and the coalition between the Jewish and the Mexican group; it tells all these superb tales that commemorate Jewish, Japanese, Italian, all these cultures. The purpose I did these items is due to gentrification; I don’t need my group to be all washed out; now we have a historical past, and that is American historical past. We have to gather the tales and encourage individuals, fairly than combating hipsters and combating people who find themselves gentrifiers—individuals don’t actually perceive how gentrification works. It’s not about white individuals coming in; Latinos can gentrify too. It’s about individuals having an consciousness that there’s already one thing right here, and you may contribute to the canvas, put your coloration in there, however don’t whitewash it and make it disappear, as a result of then you definately’re erasing all this stunning American historical past, Chicano historical past and Mexican American historical past. My historical past. Boyle Heights is my house. I would like individuals to know that I’ve been there.

Is Boyle Heights nonetheless dealing with gentrification?

It’s been gentrifying, however it’s going slowly. The good factor is that everybody is aware of that if they arrive in with out respecting what’s there, they may get a struggle. What’s attention-grabbing is that Boyle Heights is the one group on this planet that has fought again utilizing arts and creativity. And Prof. George Sanchez goes round to totally different elements of the world to lecture on how our group has fought again towards the artwork world. The company’s are getting extra inventive in the way in which they arrive in; one of many methods they’re doing it’s via murals doing it. It’s artwork however it’s actually a industrial; they rent the Chicano artists who want the cash, who’re completely satisfied to do it. So it’s form of shady. The different factor that’s taking place is much more policing, and so they’re making the streets friendlier, however they’re taking away parking, which already may be very arduous. I’ve really thought of whether or not I need to keep in Boyle Heights; I’ve thought of transferring to Queens and beginning a Latino theatre firm there.

I reside in Queens, and you’ll be most welcome there.

Thank you. This is remedy for me.

Rob Weinert-Kendt (he/him) is the editor-in-chief of American Theatre.

Creative credit for manufacturing pictures: Remembering Boyle Heights at Casa 0101, written by Josefina Lopez, Corky Dominguez & The Remembering Boyle Heights Ensemble, directed by Corky Dominguez, govt produced by Emmanuel Deleage, stage supervisor: Daniel Corona, technical director: Max Brother, assistant director: Rosa Navarrete, lighting designer: Kevin Vasquez, sound designer: Angelica Ornelas, set designer: Cesar Retana-Holguín; costume designer: Abel Alvarado, prop grasp/ASM: Doreen Sanchez, graphic designer: Itzel Ocampo; Real Women Have Curves at Dallas Theatre Center, directed Christie Vela, with scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Daniella Nieves, lighting design by Amanda West, sound design by John M. Flores, and hair and make-up design by Nicole Alvarez.

Doreen Sanchez

; Real Women Have Curves at Dallas Theatre Center, directed Christie Vela, with scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Daniella Nieves, lighting design by Amanda West, sound design by John M. Flores, and hair and make-up design by Nicole Alvarez.

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