Leonardo! Program
Leonardo is a terrible monster. He tries so hard to be scary, but he just… isn’t. Then Leonardo finds Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the world. Will Leonardo finally get to scare the tuna salad out of someone? Or will it be the start of an unlikely friendship? The plot thickens when this pair meets Kerry and Frankenthaler, an even scaredier-cat and her monster friend. Kerry and Sam need to make a big decision: will they just be scaredy cats or can they become friends?
Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster uses hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, book pages, two-dimensional props, furry monster puppets, and songs to bring Mo Willems' books to life. Manual Cinema wanted to re-create the experience of holding one of Mo’s book pages, which are big, bold, colorful, and full of visual rhythm, with a playful use of scale. Like all Manual Cinema productions, you’re invited to watch the big screen like a traditional movie, or to watch the artists below as they create the story in real time. (There is no wrong way to watch the show!)
Inspired by the Books Leonardo, The Terrible Monster & Sam, The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World by Mo Willems
Directed by Sarah Fornace
CREDITS
Created by Manual Cinema
Inspired by the Books Leonardo, The Terrible Monster & Sam, The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World by Mo Willems
Directed by - Sarah Fornace
Adaptation by - Sarah Fornace and Drew Dir
Music, Lyrics & Sound Design by - Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter
2D Paper Puppet and Prop Design by - Drew Dir
Hand and Rod Puppet Design by - Lizi Breit
Costume & Wig Design by - Mieka Van der Ploeg
Lighting Design by - Trey Brazeal with Nick Chamernik
Dramaturgy by - Megan Alrutz
Stage Manager and Board Operator - Maydi Díaz
Sound Engineers - Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter
Technical Director for Original Production - Mike Usrey
CAST
Leah Casey (Kerry, Puppeteer)
Lily Emerson (Emily, Narrator, Character Voices, Vocals)
Julia Miller (Sam, Puppeteer)
Lindsey Noel Whiting (Leonardo, Puppeteer)
Commissioned by The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts with additional commissioning support from Utah Presents
Special Thanks to David Kilpatrick, Chicago Children's Theater and Laura Colby
Kerry (Leah Casey), Sam (Sarah Fornace) Frankenthaler (Lily Emerson, Leonardo (Anney Fresh) Photo by Rebecca Michelson
Lindsey Noel Whiting as Leonardo Photo by Ben Kauffman
Kerry (Leah Casey) and Sam (Julia Miller) with Lindsey Noel Whiting Photo by Ben Kauffman
Lily Emerson the Narrator, Kerry (Leah Casey), Sam (Sarah Fornace), Anney Fresh Photo by Rebecca Michelson
Lily Emerson the Narrator, Leonardo (Anney Fresh) and Sam (Sarah Fornace) Photo by Rebecca Michelson
Lily Emerson the Narrator, Kerry (Leah Casey), Sam (Sarah Fornace), Anney Fresh Photo by Rebecca Michelson
Images by Manual Cinema, Characters © Mo Willems
CAST BIOS
MAYDI DÍAZ (Stage Manager, Video Mixing & Live Sound Effects) is a Chicago based stage manager. Since completing a BA in Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago and a MA in Theatre Production from the National University of Ireland Galway, Maydi has worked on multiple areas of technical theater. Her stage management credits include Caucasian Chalk Circle (Mick Lally Theatre), Back In The Day (UrbanTheater Company), The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon and La Peor de Todas (Water People Theater), Kiev (Aguijón Theater Co), and various shows with PlayMaker's Laboratory. When she's not at the theater, you can find Maydi folk dancing or doing calligraphy.
LILY EMERSON (Narrator, Musician) is a multifaceted performer, producer, collaborator, and all-around creative weirdo. Lily is the co-creator of Adventure Sandwich, a Chicago-based group that produces family-friendly video, music, live performances and events. She served as the Artistic Director of Opera-Matic, an interdisciplinary arts organization that produces participatory art experiences in the parks, from 2018-2020. She is also the founder of Lucid Street Theatre, a performance collective that created original works from 2007-2011. Lily has performed throughout the US, Belarus, the Czech Republic, and France, and has been recognized with various awards and residencies, including the Lisa Dershin LinkUP Residency, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's Artist in Residence, and the Chicago Digital Media Production Fund. More information about Lily can be found at creative-weirdo.com.
SHARAINA LATRICE TURNAGE (Kerry) is from the sensational Southside of Chicago. Recent credits include: Mementos Mori, The End of TV, and No Blue Memories (Manual Cinema), The Silence in Harrow House (Rough House Theater) The American Revolution (Theater Unspeakable), and Los Milagros (Free Street Theater). Sharaina has researched and performed theater historical done by slaves called “Du” theater in Suriname, South America and was amongst one of the first actors to perform “Du” theater in the United States. Sharaina received her B.A. at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where past credits include: Mayme (Intimate Apparel), LaWanda/Topsy Washington/Normal Jean (The Colored Museum), and Bernice (Servy N Bernice 4ever). Sharaina thanks her family and close friends for the constant support. "The greatest pleasure in life is DOING what people say you CANNOT do."
JULIA MILLER (Co-Artistic Director, Sam) is a director, puppeteer, and puppet designer. With Manual Cinema she has directed Mementos Mori and The End of TV as well as created original roles in Frankenstein (The Creature/Elizabeth), Ada/Ava (Ada), Lula del Ray (Lula's Mother), The Magic City (Helen), and Hansel und Gretel (Hansel). In Chicago, she has worked as a performer and puppeteer with Redmoon Theatre and Blair Thomas and Co. She spent several years training in devised theatre, clown and mask with Double Edge Theatre, Carlos García Estevez and at the Accademia dell'Arte in Arezzo, Italy.
LINDSEY NOEL WHITING (Leonardo, Puppeteer) is a Chicago-based performer and teaching artist. Her theatrical credits include Lookingglass Alice, Mr. & Mrs. Pennyworth, and The Great Fire at Lookingglass Theatre, Christmas Carol and Dracula at Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Snow Queen at Victory Gardens, and The Year I Didn't Go to School with Chicago Children's Theatre. She has also appeared in numerous shows with Redmoon Theatre, including the world premier of The Cabinet and Once Upon a Time. Additionally, Lindsey is an Associate Artist with The Actor's Gymnasiums where she has performed in over ten original circus productions.
MO WILLEMS BIO
Mo Willems is an author, illustrator, animator, playwright, and the inaugural Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence, where he collaborates in creating fun new stuff involving classical music, opera, comedy concerts, dance, painting, and digital works with the National Symphony Orchestra, Ben Folds, Yo-Yo Ma, and others.
Willems is best known for his #1 New York Times bestselling picture books, which have been awarded three Caldecott Honors (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunny Too), two Theodor Geisel Medals, and five Geisel Honors (The Elephant & Piggie series).
Mo’s art has been exhibited around the world, including major solo retrospectives at the High Museum (Atlanta) and the New-York Historical Society (NYC). Over the last decade, Willems has become the most produced playwright of Theater for Young Audiences in America, having written or co-written four musicals based on his books.
He began his career as a writer and animator on PBS’ Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards (writing). Other television work includes two series on Cartoon Network: Sheep in the Big City (creator + head writer) and Codename: Kids Next Door (head writer). Mo is creating new TV projects for HBOMax, where his live action comedy special Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime! currently streams.
His papers reside at Yale University’s Beinecke Library.