Leonardo! A Wonderful Show about a Terrible Monster, based on the books by Mo Willems; directed and adapted by Sarah Fornace and Drew Dir; 2D paper puppet and prop design by Drew Dir; music, lyrics, and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter; hand and rod puppet design by Lizi Breit; costume and wig design by Mieka Van der Ploeg; lighting design by Trey Brazeal with Nick Chamernik; dramaturgy by Megan Alrutz; stage managed by Maydi Díaz; created by Manual Cinema; presented by Wheelock Family Theatre in Boston, MA through October 19, 2025.
by Julie-Anne Whitney
Manual Cinema is a Chicago-based performance collective that specializes in cinematic shadow puppetry. For Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster, presented by Wheelock Family Theatre, the troupe transforms two books by beloved children’s author Mo Willems into a unique live-action cinematic experience.
Adapted from Willems’ books, Leonardo the Terrible Monster (2005) and Sam, The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World (2017), the 50-minute show tells the story of Leonardo, a monster who is “terrible” at being a monster because he just can’t seem to scare anyone and Sam, a lonely kid who is seemingly afraid of everything. With the addition of original music, written by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter, the production closely follows the stories of Willems’ books, bringing the characters to life with humor, playfulness, and imagination.
The story starts with three “terrible monsters” bullying Leonado because he can’t scare anyone, “not even the audience.” Leo tries to be like them and feels ashamed at not being scary. So, he sets out to find the “most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world” and attempts to “scare the tuna salad out of him!” But when Leonardo meets Sam, instead of scaring the boy, he makes him cry. Leonardo realizes that the better thing to do is to comfort Sam and be a “wonderful friend.” Then Sam meets Kerry, a fellow scaredy-cat, and even though they don’t always agree or like the same things, they become friends.
When you settle into your seat, it may not seem like you’re about to see a kids’ show. The stage is laid out more like a sound studio full of equipment (i.e. a vintage overhead projector, a large video screen, monitors, live-feed cameras, multi-channel amplifiers, microphones, ring lights, etc.). But then you see furry monster puppets on stands and actors cheerily walking out in doll-like costumes holding hand-drawn props (e.g., a flat illustrated umbrella instead of a real one). When the music starts and the actors begin animating adorable hand and paper puppets that appear on an overhead screen, suddenly you feel like you’ve been transported into a children’s book.
The versatile four-person cast is responsible for animating hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, dozens of two-dimensional props, and several hand puppets. Lily Emerson gives a particularly impressive performance as the sole singer/musician, as well as voicing the narrator, a child, a monster, and all of the sound effects. The actors are fully visible to the audience throughout the show; they do not attempt to hide the puppetry or the creation of the live-action film. Although the film is predictably sweet with brightly colored, lovable characters, the more interesting part of the experience is watching the puppeteers at work. It’s fascinating to watch them create the magic in real time.
Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster is, in fact, a wonderful show for families. It’s fun, inventive, and utterly original. The story teaches young people (and, hopefully, reminds the grownups, too) that kindness is better than bullying, it’s okay to be yourself even if that means being different, and that you can get along with someone even if you don’t always agree with them. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.wheelockfamilytheatre.org/
