REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES Creator and CASA 0101 Theater To Present World Premiere of AN ENEMY OF THE PUEBLO

Josefina López, the award-winning playwright and screenwriter and Founding Artistic Director of the venerable CASA 0101 Theater located in Boyle Heights, CA will be celebrating a triple crown of signature events this month: the World Premiere of her latest play at CASA 0101 Theatre, AN ENEMY OF THE PUEBLO under the direction of Corky Dominguez; the first Art Exhibition, "Aqui Estamos Y No Nos Vamos (We Are Here and We Won't Leave): Fighting Mexican Removal Since the 1930s" at the new Boyle Heights Museum, which she co-founded, housed in the Jean Deleage Art Gallery in the lobby of CASA 0101 Theater; and the 15th Anniversary Screening and Panel Discussion of her pop culture film, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, to be presented by PACIFIC STANDARD TIME: LA/LA at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Beverly Hills, CA on Monday, October 16, 2017.

Josefina López's new dramatic play, AN ENEMY OF THE PUEBLO, a feminist Chicana modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play, An Enemy of the People, will receive its World Premiere production at CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 East First Street (at St. Louis Street), Boyle Heights, CA 90033. Opening Night is Friday, October 20, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. Performances will be given Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 5:00 p.m., October 20 - November 12, 2017. A Discounted Preview performance will be given on Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.

Josefina López said, "In my adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People the main character isn't the male Dr. Thomas Stockmann, as it is in Henrik Ibsen's play, or in Arthur Miller's adaptation of Ibsen's play which was later made into a film starring Steve McQueen with a screenplay written by Alexander Jacobs. In my adaptation of Ibsen's play, the central protagonist is a Mexican woman of Apache descent who is a Midwife and Curandera (shaman woman) who discovers the water in the town has been contaminated. She has a premonition and it is her gut that tells her she is right. AN ENEMY OF THE PUEBLO is a Chicana eco-feminist approach - where it is not science or logic that is the strength of the character, but her intuitive feminine self. The play is set in Milagros (Miracles), a colonial town in Mexico near the U.S. border on the brink of becoming a ghost town for healing springs that attracted American tourists for many years until the town was overrun by a drug cartel called "Los Sapos" (The Frogs). The play is set in the present and deals with immigrant issues."

Under the direction of Corky Dominguez (or Boyle Heights), Obie Award-winning actress Zilah Mendoza (of Pasadena, appearing courtesy of Actors Equity) leads a cast of 10 actors portraying 20 roles in the central role of Magdalena "Magda" Del Rio, a Mexican woman of Apache descent, a Curandera (shaman woman), Midwife and co-owner of the land where the springs are located.

Other member of the cast include: Arturo Aranda, Jr. (of Los Angeles) as Pedro Del Rio, Magdalena's younger brother, Mayor of the town and co-owner with Magda of the land where the springs are located; Laura Bravatti (of Hacienda Heights) as Petra Del Rio, Magda's daughter; Angiee Lombana (of Pomona) as Clarita Del Rio, Petra's daughter and Magda's granddaughter, and as Laura, a lady who gives birth with the assistance of Magda; William Jaramillo (of Long Beach) as O'Connor, a "gringo" Mexican of Irish decent; J.D. Mata (of North Hollywood) as Luis, a journalist who is also a founder of the town's newspaper, and as Man of the Pueblo, an ignorant man, and as Musician; Joshua Nuñez (of Rancho Cucamonga) as Laura's Husband, and as Juan José, a journalist; Paul Renteria (of East Los Angeles) as Ghost of El Sapo, the head of the drug cartel, and as Señor Reyes, one of the heads of a company in charge of renovating the springs; Javier Ronceros (of North Hollywood, appearing courtesy of SAG/AFTRA) as Eugenio/Ghost of Eugenio, a courageous and proud man, and as Padre Lazaro, the town priest who drinks too much and gossips about people when he is drunk; and Catalina Shoshan (of Encino) as Elvia, a lady who goes to Magda for psychic help, and as Doña Campeche, a mother in the town of Milagros, and as Woman of the Pueblo, an ignorant woman.

Director Corky Dominguez says, "Josefina López has written a very special piece of theatre. I am honored to be directing this particular piece of a women's heartfelt struggle to get the truth out in the open. I'm working on creating an intimate piece of theatre experience for audiences with both Josefina's text and what I perceive to be her and my vision for this intense story."

In Josefina López's AN ENEMY OF THE PUEBLO, a modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, a Curandera (shaman woman) warns the people in the border town of Milagros (Miracles) of the poisoning of the water, but no one wants to believe her because their economic futures depend on the water in the springs attracting the "gringos" back to the town.

A Discounted Preview Performance will be presented on Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. for $10.00 per person. Opening Night is Friday, October 20, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. The play will be presented for a four-week run on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 5:00 p.m. from October 20 - November 12, 2017 at CASA 0101 Theater, 2012 East First Street (at St. Louis Street across the street from the Hollenbeck Police Station), Boyle Heights, CA 90033.

Tickets during the four-week run are $20 per person for General Admission; $17 per person for Students and Seniors; and $15 per person for Boyle Heights residents. Discounts for Groups of 10 or more will be available at $15 per person. This show is recommended for all audiences. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Free Parking is available on several streets surrounding the theatre. Free Parking is also available on Fridays and Saturdays only at the Boyle Heights City Hall Parking Lot located at 2130 East First Street (at Chicago Street) by entering the lot from Chicago Street; the lot is closed on Sundays. For tickets, please call the CASA 0101 Theater Box Office at 323-263-7684, E-mail tickets@casa0101.org, or buy online at www.casa0101.org. Join the conversation on Facebook @CASA0101Theater; on Twitter @CASA0101 and on YouTUBE at https://www.youtube.com/user/casa0101theater

This production is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

The production team for the World Premiere production of Josefina Lopez's AN ENEMY OF THE PUEBLO includes: Josefina López (of Silver Lake), Founding Artistic Director, CASA 0101 Theater, Playwright; Emmanuel Deleage (of Silver Lake), Executive Director, CASA 0101 Theater, Producer; Edward Padilla (of Boyle Heights) Board President, CASA 0101 Theater, Producer, Casting Director; Marco De Leon (of Los Angeles) Scenic Designer; Abel Alvarado (of Silver Lake) Costume Designer; Kevin Eduardo Vasquez (of Van Nuys) Lighting Designer; Vincent A. Sanchez (of Commerce) Sound Designer; Sohail e. Najafi (of Culver City) Technical Director; Masha Taraintsev (of Los Angeles) Production Designer; Laurien Allmon (of Canoga Park) Stage Manager; Gabriela Pérez (of Los Angeles) Assistant Stage Manager; Jorge Villanueva (of Boyle Heights) Light Board Operator; Lupe Arellanes (of Los Angeles) Graphic Designer; Mark Kraus (of Los Angeles), Webmaster; Gabriela López de Dennis, Soap Design Co. (of Los Angeles), Program; Ed Krieger (of La Crescenta), Production Photographer and Steve Moyer Public Relations (of Los Angeles), Press Representative.

Photo credit: Ed Krieger

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