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The Multicultural Lecture Series

Sonia Manzano

Sonia Manzano, best known as "Maria" from Sesame Street , will be speaking on Wednesday, November 5, 2003 at 12:30 p.m. at the Kendall Hall Mainstage!  Admission is FREE.

Those who grew up learning their ABC's with Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Kermit and the Cookie Monster will immediately recognize Sonia Manzano as the bilingual Maria on Sesame Street. Manzano attributes her appeal to the fact that she acts the same toward children as she does toward adults-honestly and directly. She gives children a character with whom they can feel comfortable.

Not only does Manzano act in the award-winning Sesame Street, she also is a writer for the show. In fact in 1986, Manzano won an Emmy award for being a contributing writer to Sesame Street. In the last few years the show's writers-Manzano among them-have tackled such issues as dealing with a loved one's death, the complexities of making an emotional commitment that leads to marriage, and the factual aspects of pregnancy.

Manzano enjoys writing for Sesame Street. She believes that her production experience and knowledge of the other cast members will enable her to write pieces suited for each of her fellow actors and that her experience with children all over the world will serve to be an endless source for new ideas. The show, which has won almost 30 Emmys, is seen in over 60 countries spanning six continents, making it the most widely viewed children's television show in the world.

In her presentation, Manzano stresses the need for developing one's personality and character. As one of the country's most visible actresses of Spanish descent, she is very conscious of her influence on children and young adults. When actress Sonia Manzano began playing Maria, the character was just a teenager. Since then, Maria's gone through a hippie phase, a period of radical feminism-and now Maria has grown up. In the past few seasons Maria has fallen in love, made the decision to get married, and had a child. Ms. Manzano's acting efforts were rewarded when she received an Emmy nomination for Best Performer in a Children's Program, along with such notable personalities as Ringo Starr, Mr. Rogers and Pee Wee Herman.

During her time as a third-year drama student at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Manzano appeared in the original production of the musical-comedy Godspell. In 1972, she returned to New York to once again perform in the Off-Broadway hit. In theatre, she has performed in The Living Room (under the direction of Jose Ferrer) and Happy New Year. She directed and starred in a production of Appearing in Person Tonight: Your Mother. She is a member of the Ensemble Studio Theatre, a professional organization dedicated to the realization of new works for the theatre. Manzano has also appeared in the films Death Wish, Firepower and Night Flowers. Currently, Manzano enjoys doing voice-overs for Sesame Street divisions and plans to expand her experimental work in the theatre.

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