Sonia Manzano
Encyclopedia
Sonia Manzano is an American actress and writer. She is best known for playing Maria on Sesame Street
since 1971. She also licenses her image to promote items of baby clothes and plates in Hispanic America.
Manzano was born on the Lower East Side
in Manhattan. When she was very young, her family moved to the South Bronx
. Her parents migrated to New York from Puerto Rico. Manzano attended the High School of Performing Arts
, where she began her acting career.
She attended Carnegie Mellon University
in Pittsburgh
on a scholarship. In her junior year, she came to New York to star in the original production of the off-Broadway show "Godspell". Manzano joined the production of Sesame Street
in 1971, where she eventually began writing scripts for the series. She has won 15 Emmy Awards as part of the Sesame Street writing staff.
Manzano has performed on the New York stage, in the critically acclaimed theatre pieces Vagina Monologues and "The Exonerated." She has written for the Peabody Award
-winning children's series, "Little Bill," and has written a parenting column for the Sesame Workshop web site called "Talking Outloud".
Manzano's children's book, "No Dogs Allowed," published by Simon & Schuster
Children's Publishing in 2004, is one of five books selected by the General Mills initiative "Spoonfuls of Stories". As part of that effort, Manzano is working with General Mills
and its nonprofit partner, First Book, to encourage children to read and to help children across the United States gain access to books. The book has also been successfully adapted as a stage play.
Manzano was nominated twice for an Emmy Award
as Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series. She has served on the March of Dimes
Board; the board of the George Foster Peabody Awards; and the board of a New York City theatrical institution, Symphony Space. She is a member of the board of advisors of the Project Sunshine Book Club. She was featured in the Learning Leaders
(volunteers helping students succeed) poster, designed to encourage reading in NYC public schools.
Manzano has received awards from the Association of Hispanic Arts
, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
in Washington DC, The National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education in 2003, and the "Groundbreaking Latina Lifetime Achievement" award from the National Association of Latina Leaders
in 2005. She received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from University of Notre Dame
in 2005.
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
since 1971. She also licenses her image to promote items of baby clothes and plates in Hispanic America.
Manzano was born on the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
in Manhattan. When she was very young, her family moved to the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
. Her parents migrated to New York from Puerto Rico. Manzano attended the High School of Performing Arts
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts, more formally known as The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, informally known as "PA", was a public alternative high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1948 through...
, where she began her acting career.
She attended Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
on a scholarship. In her junior year, she came to New York to star in the original production of the off-Broadway show "Godspell". Manzano joined the production of Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
in 1971, where she eventually began writing scripts for the series. She has won 15 Emmy Awards as part of the Sesame Street writing staff.
Manzano has performed on the New York stage, in the critically acclaimed theatre pieces Vagina Monologues and "The Exonerated." She has written for the Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
-winning children's series, "Little Bill," and has written a parenting column for the Sesame Workshop web site called "Talking Outloud".
Manzano's children's book, "No Dogs Allowed," published by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
Children's Publishing in 2004, is one of five books selected by the General Mills initiative "Spoonfuls of Stories". As part of that effort, Manzano is working with General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
and its nonprofit partner, First Book, to encourage children to read and to help children across the United States gain access to books. The book has also been successfully adapted as a stage play.
Manzano was nominated twice for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
as Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series. She has served on the March of Dimes
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
Board; the board of the George Foster Peabody Awards; and the board of a New York City theatrical institution, Symphony Space. She is a member of the board of advisors of the Project Sunshine Book Club. She was featured in the Learning Leaders
Learning Leaders
Learning Leaders is a New York City nonprofit organization that organizes volunteers to provide tutoring and mentoring for public school children. As of 2005, Learning Leaders has approximately 15,000 volunteers working with over 200,000 students. The organization works closely with the New York...
(volunteers helping students succeed) poster, designed to encourage reading in NYC public schools.
Manzano has received awards from the Association of Hispanic Arts
Association of Hispanic Arts
Association of Hispanic Arts is a New York-based non-profit organization founded in 1975 that promotes the work of Hispanic artists. It holds an annual Hispanic Arts Festival in the city, and publishes a quarterly magazine, AHA! Hispanic Arts News....
, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus comprises 21 Democratic members of the United States Congress most of whom are of Hispanic origin. The Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics and Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico...
in Washington DC, The National Hispanic Media Coalition, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education in 2003, and the "Groundbreaking Latina Lifetime Achievement" award from the National Association of Latina Leaders
National Association of Latina Leaders
The National Association of Latina Leaders is a non-profit organization representing millions of Hispanic women across the United States. It was co-founded in 2003 by Former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin and Media entrepreneur Cathy Areu. Rosario Marin served as the organization's Chairwoman during...
in 2005. She received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 2005.
Other
- She voiced CheetahCheetah (comics)The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
in the Wonder Woman audio bookAudio bookAn audiobook or audio book is a recording of a text being read. It is not necessarily an exact audio version of a book or magazine.Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to a lesser extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the...
story "Cheetah on the Prowl".
- Her second book, A Box Full of Kittens, was published June 2007.
- She has a licensing company, Three Amigas.
External links
- Official site
- The Blue Blog, Manzano's political blog