She has performed on the New York stage, in the critically acclaimed theatre pieces The Vagina Monologues and The Exonerated. On June 29, 2015, it was announced that Manzano would be retiring from the show after 44 years. In her junior year, she came to New York to star in the original production of the off-Broadway show GodspellManzano joined the production of Sesame Street in 1971, where she eventually began writing scripts for the series. She attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh on a scholarship. Manzano attended the High School of Performing Arts, where she began her acting career. Her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. Manzano was born in New York City and was raised in South Bronx. She is best known for playing Maria on Sesame Street from 1971 until her retirement in 2015. Sonia Manzano (born June 12, 1950) is an American actress and writer.
