Step Inside Florencia Cuenca's Dressing Room at Real Women Have Curves

What does Florencia Cuenca from Real Women have in her dressing room? Items that remind her of her heritage, and herself: "throat coat, Grether鈥檚 pills, and a Mexican flag. Ah鈥� and flowers! Always flowers for a Flor."

Every night at the James Earl Jones Theatre, Cuenca is representing the Latine community. Real Women Have Curves is helmed by Sergio Trujillo, who's directing and choreographing. With a score by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez and a book by Lisa Loomer with Nell Benjamin, the work follows a family of Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles in the early 1980s. Cuenca plays eldest daughter Estela Garcia, who struggles to endure the pressure placed upon her as she operates the families garment factory. Real Women Have Curves will close on Broadway June 29.

But before the show takes its final bow, Cuenca invited photographer Michael Kushner backstage to her dressing room to document her getting into character, as part of Kushner's Dressing Room Project. See the photos, with Cuenca's reflections below, and why it's been an honor to do a show "for all my people" (and not just because they give her earrings in the shape of Takis).

Florencia Cuenca backstage at *Real Women Have Curves* Michael Kushner's The Dressing Room Project

"The first thing I do when I get into my dressing room is to prepare some tea. My favorite pre-show tea is throat coat tea with some honey. And you can see, my country and my people are always with me. I am a proud Mexican immigrant and 'alzo mi bandera.' In this photo you can see my three essentials: throat coat, Grether鈥檚 pills, and a Mexican flag. Ah鈥� and flowers! Always flowers for a Flor."

鈥淭akis鈥� earrings that were a gift from a fellow Mexican audience member Michael Kushner's The Dressing Room Project

"One of my favorite things about being in a Broadway show is meeting people at the stage door. For example, these 'Takis' earrings were a gift from a fellow Mexican audience member that I met post show after she saw how much I loved the brand from Instagram. I love social media because it is another way I can create community. I adore my people. My community. How loving and warm and giving we are. That鈥檚 why I do what I do. For my people. I strongly believe in the power of representation."

Florencia Cuenca and Leslie Espinosa backstage at *Real Women Have Curves* Michael Kushner's The Dressing Room Project

"Talking about community, Leslie Espinosa is our amazing wig supervisor. Wig time is also chisme (chat) time. Leslie and I are very passionate about our communities and the importance of representation in theatre at all levels and capacities: actors on stage, producers, writers, designers, dressers, stage managers, stagehands, musicians, and more. Leslie, as many other wonderful people backstage, are a key piece of this theatre industry 'machine.' Besides being incredible at her job, I really enjoyed having her as part of my pre-show ritual. I always get really inspired. Shout out to all those amazing people and artists backstage who help us to make the magic happen. Gracias. We couldn鈥檛 make it without them."

Doreen Montalvo鈥檚 shoes from *Mrs. Doubtfire*, in Florencia Cuenca' dressing room backstage at *Real Women Have Curves* Michael Kushner's The Dressing Room Project

"These shoes are incredibly special to me. They were Doreen Montalvo鈥檚 shoes from Mrs. Doubtfire, her last Broadway show before passing away. I am a huge fan of In the Heights. When I was a teenager living in Mexico City, I used to listen to the OBC every single day and watch all the performances, the documentary and more on YouTube. Doreen was the first Broadway performer I met in person when I moved to NYC back in 2015. My husband Jaime Lozano was producing her solo album and we became incredibly close, like sisters. I even sang backup vocals for the release concert of her album. We had dinners at her apartment. She loved my young son, Alonzo. She gave Alonzo his very first teddy bear. She was familia to us. And she was an inspiration, both as an artist and as a human being. Thanks to R.Evoluci贸n Latina, an incredible non-profit organization created by Latine Broadway performers to empower the Latine community through the arts, those shoes have been visiting theatres around the country to honor the legacy of Doreen and inspire many more performers. You are so missed mi querida Doreen, but we are here doing the work and trying to make you proud."

"The final touches to go on stage and play Estela are my character jewelry, measurement tape and my pin cushion. A last look into the mirror. Then I close my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. And let鈥檚 do it. This is for all my people. The ones before me and the ones coming after me."

"Gracias Michael for joining me to get ready for my show and capturing such beautiful memories in my Broadway debut show. Happy to find more musical theatre geeks like myself. I truly enjoyed our conversation about theatre history, anecdotes and all our laughs."