At age 26, Josefina Lopez is the most produced Latina playwright in the country. Writing since age 17, her first play, “Simply Maria or the American Dream” aired on PBS-TV in 1988. Two years later she began working on her 1994 hit, “Real Women Have Curves.” The play grossed over $1 million and launched Lopez as one of the most produced playwrights in the country. Teaming with Jon Mercedes III, Mercedes/Lopez Productions has three production deals for TV pilots. Among them are the NBC production, “La Fiesta,” a comedy variety half-hour show and, “The Chavez Family,” a collaboration with Norman Lear. An extraordinary talent, Lopez is the first Latina writer to have a drama and a comedy being developed and produced for TV simultaneously. (Photo courtesy of Shane Sato)