Lakeview actress kicks imagination into overdrive for latest role

For Lakeview actress Isa Ramos, the best part about being in a show geared toward young audiences is having the freedom to think like a kid.

“I love that when performing for children, I have to kick my imagination into overdrive,” Ramos said. “Childhood is the best stage of life because imagination rules our reality, and fills us with endless possibility and potential. Being an adult performing for children is the second best stage of life, because the kids challenge me to let my imagination roam big and free, the way it was intended to be.”

Ramos is in the middle of her run as Prince Miguel in Ghostlight Ensemble’s The Princess Without Pots – the story of a warrior princess and her parents’ frustrating quest to compel her into a storybook romance. In the production, Ramos plays an atypical prince who knows more about beating eggs than his enemies, which is why he hopes to win the princess’s hand in marriage. But to do so he must beat her in battle, and he isn’t exactly the kind of guy who know which end of a sword to hold.

“I love that Miguel knows when he needs help and isn't afraid to ask for it,” Ramos said. “All of us fall short, all of us need help, but only those who ask for help when they need it can be successful.”

Despite Miguel’s lack of knowledge about weaponry, there’s still plenty of action sequences in The Princess Without Pots, which Ramos thinks is one of the primary reasons children really enjoy watching the show.

“I also think it's especially cool that it’s a princess, not a prince, who is the fiercest warrior in the land,” she adds. “Women can be ferocious winners too, and it’s just lovely seeing that onstage.”

The Princess Without Pots is Ramos’ first production in Chicago. She is a recent transplant from Tucson, Arizona, who graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Theatre History & Dramaturgy. In addition to The Princess Without Pots, she’s also recording an audio drama called Unwell, A Midwestern Gothic Mystery with Our Fair City. It will be available for online listening later this year. When she isn’t onstage, Ramos enjoys rock climbing and also watching theater. In fact, watching theater is the reason Ramos settled on Lakeview when she moved to Chicago.

“I love being close to a bunch of theatres,” she said. “It's the only reason I chose this neighborhood when I first got to this city a year ago.”

Catch Ramos on stage in Ghostlight Ensemble's The Princess Without Pots, the inaugural production in the theatre company’s young audience series, Nightlight. The show runs Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. through July 1 at Laugh Out Loud Theater in North Center. More information is available at GhostlightEnsemble.com.