SHREVEPORT – Sam Ortiz was close to graduating high school when the movie “Real Women Have Curves” hit theaters in 2002.
Ortiz, who described herself as an “overweight daughter of a (Mexican) immigrant,” said the movie’s exploration of body positivity with Latina women at the center was “highly impactful” for her.
Now Ortiz will be part a panel discussion Saturday when Josefina Lopez, who wrote the 1990 play and co-wrote the movie screenplay, visits Shreveport.
Community members can meet Lopez as part of the event “An Afternoon with Playwright Josefina Lopez” at the Woman’s Department Club on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“I remember the shockwaves the movie created – everyone was talking about it,” Ortiz said. “The film not only centered around women but minority women who celebrated being comfortable in their bodies.
“On top of that, the film was brazen enough to portray women in the throes of political crisis while trying to navigate their identity and also protect their safety.”
Ortiz will join Vita Riner, board director of the Hispanic Heritage Association of Northwest Louisiana, on the panel with Lopez.
The event is free thanks to sponsorship from The Shreveport Little Theatre, the LSUS Foundation and the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair with support from the City of Shreveport, the Louisiana Division of Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.
Pre-registration is required to attend because of space.
Saturday’s event is an appetizer to the Shreveport Little Theatre’s production of the play “Real Women Have Curves,” which runs from Oct. 15-Oct. 25.
Lopez’s foundational play is set in 1987 in a small sewing factory in East Los Angeles and, through conversations among five Latina women working in that factory, explores their experiences with family, culture, immigration, body image, economic opportunity, and the expectations placed upon them.
“Given that the Shreveport Little Theatre is such a historic and important institution in our community, it seemed natural to explore ways our organizations might collaborate,” said Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze, LSUS Boyd Professor of History and holder of the Noel Endowed Chair. “With a local production of this play being staged, (Saturday’s event) aligns well with our shared goal of community engagement and provides an opportunity to connect the LSUS campus and community audiences around themes explored in the production.”
Ortiz said she is “ridiculously psyched” about being a part of the panel and the production, which kicks off October’s Hispanic Heritage Month.
“As a Hispanic theater nerd, the fact that Josefina Lopez is coming to Shreveport is the height of my year,” said Ortiz, who is the director of client services at The Philadelphia Center. “I think it is highly relevant that Josefina is bringing her expertise and perspective to our area, which has a growing Hispanic population.
“Shreveport-Bossier is ridiculously diverse … and having someone like Josefina come to Shreveport-Bossier not only shows the Hispanic community that their city considers them part of the natural fabric, but also that there’s no ceiling to what our local Hispanic community can achieve.”
Hispanic or Latino individuals make up more than four percent of Shreveport’s population and nearly 13 percent in Bossier City, according to the 2025 U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts.
Ortiz is also a performer in the production, cast as Carmen, the blunt mother of main characters Ana and Estela who learns to accept herself and embrace her body.
“My Mexican culture has always been a huge part of who I am, and the opportunity to showcase it doing something I love is almost surreal,” Ortiz said. “I am honored to be able to shake (Lopez’s) hand, much less sit on a panel with such a renowned individual.”
