Singer-writer-performer Florencia Cuenca recently made history as the first Mexican immigrant without U.S. citizenship to originate a co-leading Broadway role, as Estela in Real Women Have Curves. Among other credits, she and her husband, Jaime Lozano, develop new musicals together and recently workshopped Desaparecidas in Chicago.
What is tu primera memoria de teatro?
The first musical I saw live fue Singin’ in the Rain en la Ciudad de México con seis años. Fui con mi papá y con mi mamá, quienes son los pilares de porque me dedico al teatro. I said, “That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
What surprised you most about Nueva York?
When I moved here, it was a big cultural shock. I used to hug and kiss everyone, and everyone was like, “What is she doing?” At the beginning, I was like, “I’m gonna stop.” But then I went, “No, that’s just who I am.” I’m not going to put my roots aside in order to succeed. It took me a minute to step into my power and go, “You are lucky because I’m sharing my full self with you.”
What was tu primera experiencia with Real Women Have Curves?
I bought the play at Drama Book Shop when Jaime and I came in 2014 en Navidad. Jaime told me, “You need to read this.” Who would have thought? Eso fue en 2014 and now we’re in 2025—about 10 years later—se siente que es un círculo.
Cuál momento in Real Women do you consider your favorite?
In Act Two, when the community of women get rid of our old beliefs and our clothes. It’s more than just clothes; it’s getting rid of los pensamientos intrusivos, de tus versiones que ya no te funcionan. It’s beautiful to get to do it together, because es como una familia.
Qué crees that your younger self would want to tell you ahorita?
¡Yo creo que estaría en choque! Everyday I’m here, I get to meet people I used to admire so much. The other day, Andréa Burns came y me dio unas palabras de aliento. I just started crying. I remember being in high school and watching videos of Andréa singing “Carnaval del Barrio,” and now we’re here!
What art que te encanta do you wish got talked about more?
We don’t talk enough about theatre done by immigrants. We don’t have the same opportunities. But there are a lot of immigrants in this country creating beautiful stories. Y hay muchas historias distintas. It’s not just like the same cliché story. Of course we have stories where people cross the border, cross the river, and they are painful. But we also have stories like mine.
Durante esa época difícil for your communities, how are you taking care of yourself?
When I feel like I can’t do it anymore, I talk to my community o hablo en las redes sociales. There are days when I’m like, it’s crazy that I get to play an undocumented immigrant on Broadway—and I know that this story is happening blocks away from here. I know these people. Tengo amigos que se ven así. It’s a balance of abrazando los miedos and then deciding not to stay silent. As artists, that is our mission.
If you could change one thing about the American theatre, qué sería?
Sadly, it’s not accessible to everyone, and especially when we do work like this, Real Women Have Curves, I wish que mi gente lo podría ver. It’s expensive! Desde mi trinchera, I do community outreach to see how we can bring other types of audiences to the theatre. Because theatre changes lives.
