Exploring the Immigrant Experience through "Real Women Have Curves"

The musical adaptation of "Real Women Have Curves" at the American Repertory Theater focuses more on the tensions and vulnerabilities of immigrant life rather than body image, with mixed results. The show follows Ana, an American citizen in a Mexican American family, as she navigates her ambitions and familial obligations. Meanwhile, "The Heart Sellers" at the Calderwood Pavilion offers a more affecting snapshot of immigrant life, as two women from different cultures bond over their loneliness and attempt to learn the unfamiliar culture they're living in.