This Saturday, October 30, 2021, the hit public radio and podcast series Selected Shorts returns to Enlow Recital Hall at Kean University for an evening of beguiling tales for the Halloween season. One of the three readers is actor, writer, and creator of the new PBS Kids show “Alma’s Way,” Sonia Manzano, who is famous for her iconic, long-time role as Maria on “Sesame Street.”

We recently got the chance to speak with Sonia Manzano about her time with “Sesame Street,” creating her own children’s show, and the joy of telling stories on stage.