About
LEAH BONNEMA
Leah Bonnema was grown in the mountains of Maine and cultivated on the streets of New York. Born to two artists, Bonnema’s creativity was sparked early on. After studying abroad in Hungary and Guatemala as a teen, she went on to graduate with honors from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
After college, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in the performing arts and hasn’t looked back. She became actively involved in the world of spoken word, and performed in “Poetry Electric: Words of the Civil Rights Movement,” (spring, 2004) a show about the heavy topic of race in America at La Mama Theatre in NYC.
In 2004, she worked with director Karen Sommers at the Tribeca Artists In Residency program to write and perform her own one-woman show. "Always with the Heart," went up at the Tribeca Arts Theatre in April of 2005. The show addressed the struggle of self-acceptance and Bonnema's own path of a small town girl moved to a big city. Through comedy and spoken word, she highlighted the importance of storytelling and the power of embracing difference.
In 2005, she co-produced and hosted “Putting the Broad Back into Broadway,” a burlesque show at the Vital Theatre, which ran for a year. In 2007, she produced “Comedy Madness” a weekly standup showcase at The Laugh Factory in the heart of Times Square and “The Dirty Show” which ran once a month at Stand Up New York. During 2007 Leah was featured on XM Radio’s Virus Channel, Sirius Satellite Radio’s Maxim Channel, Z100 and BBC 5-Live. In 2007 she also performed stand-up for the Marines at the renowned Friars Club in Manhattan.
In January 2008, Leah headlined Planned Parenthood’s benefit ‘ROE-volution’ in Michigan. During the spring of 2008 Leah had the great honor of performing for the troops in Iraq and throughout the Middle East. That summer, she was featured in the New York Underground Comedy Festival, as well as in the New York Comedy Olympics where she placed third. In 2008 she began “Paws for a Cause”-a comedy benefit for the animals of New York City. Leah was written up in StageTime Magazine as “Best of 2008.”
In spring 2009 Leah Bonnema was on WeTV’s ‘Cinematherpy’ as a commentator. Bonnema was also chosen to perform the closing monologue for Eve Ensler’s V-Day show “A Memory, A Monoglue, A Rant and A Prayer.” Bonnema is the founder and active member of “Rosie the Irreverent-An All Female Comedy Review” and performs regularly throughout the tri-state area. Leah has been working on a new show called “Mom in a Coma, a Comedy” that will go up at The People’s Improv Theater in NYC in January 2010. The show deals with a painful time in her life while her mother was in the hospital; Bonnema’s goal is to turn hard times into art and find funny even in the saddest of places.
"By far the best performance was given by the beautiful Leah Bonnema who plays the role of "Baby," a part that easily could be trying and annoying for one to have to sit through. But the actress used her onstage powers to shine and is absolutely a joy to watch. Even when her lines were ridiculous or unjustified she was fabulous. We hope to see more of this actress in the future."
-Jade Estaban Estrada, Arts and Entertainment Columnist for the Villager-New York and The Downtown Express New York
(Response to off off broadway play at the American Theater of Actors)
"Best of 2008"-Stagetime Magazine for placing 3rd in the Storytelling Category for the NYC Comedy Olympics
