Sonia Manzano: Difference between revisions

| image = Sonia Manzano - 2015 National Book Festival.jpg

| caption = Manzano at the 2015 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, DC

| years_active = 1971–present

| known_for = [[Maria Figueroa Rodriguez|Maria]] on ''[[Sesame Street]]''

| website = {{URL|http://www.soniamanzano.com/}}

}}

 

Her memoir, ''Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx'' was published in 2015, and her works include the novel ''The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano'' as well as several children's books. She is the creator of the animated children's television series ''[[Alma's Way]]'', from [[Fred Rogers Productions]], and serves as an executive producer, writer and voice actor for the show.

Manzano joined the production of ''[[Sesame Street]]'' in 1971, where she eventually began writing scripts for the series. On June 29, 2015, it was announced that Manzano would be retiring from the show after 44 years.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.avclub.com/article/44-years-after-joining-show-sesame-streets-maria-r-221689|title = 44 years after joining the show, Sesame Street's Maria is retiring|access-date = July 2, 2015|website = [[The A.V. Club]]| date=July 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/02/sonia-manzano-sesame-street-maria-retire/|title = Sonia Manzano, Maria on 'Sesame Street,' to Retire After 44 Years|date = July 2, 2015|work=ArtsBeat - New York Times Blog}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|author=American Libraries|author-link=American Libraries|user=amlibraries|number=615598035867844608 |date=June 29, 2015|title=After 45 years on Sesame Street, @SoniaMManzano will no longer appear on the next season. #alaac15}}</ref> Manzano did, however, later reprise the role of Maria in the 2019 television special ''[[Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2019-11-09/sesame-street-50-special|title = Who is the 'Sesame Street' 50th anniversary special actually for?|date= November 9, 2019|access-date = June 14, 2020|website = [[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

 

 

Manzano is the author of a novel, children's books, and a memoir.<ref name="Gustines 2015"/> Her children's book ''No Dogs Allowed'' was published by [[Simon & Schuster]] Children's Publishing in 2004. The book has been adapted as a stage play.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} She is also the author of the novel ''The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano'' (2014).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.timesunion.com/wagingpeace/the-were-the-people-summer-reading-list-part-ii-middle-grade-books/7112/|title=The We're the People Summer Reading List, Part II: Middle Grade Books|work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]]|date=June 9, 2015|access-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/sep/10/sesame-street-maria-vancouver-ywca-fundraiser/|title='Sesame Street' actor, writer discusses complexity of parenting in fundraising talk for YWCA|author=Steven Lane|date=September 10, 2014|work=[[The Columbian]]|access-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref> In 2015, her memoir, ''Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx'', was published.<ref name="Gustines 2015">{{cite news |last1=Gustines |first1=George Gene |title=Maria on 'Sesame Street,' Sonia Manzano, Tells of Her Own Childhood |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/arts/television/maria-on-sesame-street-sonia-manzano-tells-of-her-own-childhood.html |access-date=4 October 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=In New Memoir, Maria Tells Us How She Got, How She Got To 'Sesame Street' |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/08/24/433512375/in-new-memoir-maria-tells-us-how-she-got-how-she-got-to-sesame-street |access-date=12 December 2022 |work=[[NPR]] |date=August 24, 2015}}</ref> In 2022, her novel for children ''Coming Up Cuban'' was published, as part of a contract with Scholastic to publish two novels and two picture books for children.<ref name="Lopez 2021">{{cite news |last1=López |first1=Kaitlin |title=Cover Reveal: 'Coming Up Cuban' by Sonia Manzano |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/86305-cover-reveal-coming-up-cuban-by-sonia-manzano.html |access-date=12 December 2022 |work=[[Publishers Weekly]] |date=May 11, 2021}}</ref>

 

 

In several episodes of the animated [[Nickelodeon]] series ''[[The Loud House]]'', Manzano provides the voice of Bobby and Ronnie Anne Santiago's grandmother, Rosa Casagrande, a role she reprises in the spinoff ''[[The Casagrandes]]''. She also portrays Judge Gloria Pepitone in ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]''. She also provided the voice-over narration in several animated segments in the English version of the Swedish television show ''[[Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter]]''.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Manzano was nominated twice for the [[Emmy Award]] as Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series.<ref name="Mackie 2015">{{cite news |last1=Mackie |first1=Drew |title=After 44 Years, 'Sesame Street' 's Maria Is Retiring |url=https://people.com/tv/sesame-street-actress-sonia-manzano-retiring/ |access-date=13 January 2023 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=July 1, 2015}}</ref> As a writer for ''Sesame Street'', Manzano won 15 Emmy Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/02/sonia-manzano-sesame-street-maria-retire/?_r=0|title=Sonia Manzano, Maria on 'Sesame Street,' to Retire After 44 Years |date= July 2, 2015|first=Gilbert|last= Cruz|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="Graeber 2021"/>

 

 

Manzano has received awards from the [[Association of Hispanic Arts]], the [[Congressional Hispanic Caucus]], 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.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2012/01/emmy%C2%AE-winner-and-author-sonia-manzano-opens-joint-conference-librarians-color |title=Emmy® winner and author Sonia Manzano opens Joint Conference of Librarians of Color |publisher=American Library Association |date=March 1, 2012 |access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> In 2005, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from [[University of Notre Dame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The 2005 honorary degree recipients |url=https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/the-2005-honorary-degree-recipients/ |website=Notre Dame Magazine |publisher=[[University of Notre Dame]] |access-date=12 December 2022 |date=Summer 2005}}</ref> The Dream Big Initiative of the [[Bronx Children's Museum]] honored Manzano in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bronxchildrensmuseum.org/#!dream-big-initiative/c1lpj|title=Bronx Children's Museum|access-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manzano, Sonia}}

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni]]

[[Category:Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni]]

[[Category:American film actresses]]

[[Category:American voice actresses]]

[[Category:American women television personalities]]

[[Category:American television writers]]

[[Category:Writers from Manhattan]]

[[Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)]]

[[Category:American women television writers]]

[[Category:People from the Upper West Side]]

[[Category:21st-century American women writers]]

[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]

[[Category:1950 births]]