Child’s play: North Central College theater grad pursues passion for children’s theater
Maria Clara Ospina has advice for theater artists seeking to polish their acting: perform for young audiences.
“Performing for children, you have to be quick, think quick and improvise quick,” said the actress, who costars in Chicago Children's Theatre's premiere of the bilingual musical “Go, Dog, Go! (Ve, Perro, ¡Ve!).”
“You have to be OK with noise and OK with children speaking all the time,” she said.
“For me, that's the appeal. That's the exciting part of it,” said the Colombia-born, 2021 North Central College graduate. “When an audience is lively. When the audience is with you, when they want to comment on what's going on stage that makes it magical.”
Ospina’s passion for theater emerged at age 11 when she and her mom immigrated to Somonauk, which is west of Aurora. She became interested in theater after attending an improv show at the Sandwich Opera House. She subsequently auditioned for a community theater production of “The Sound of Music” and was cast in the chorus.
Encouraged by Somonauk Middle School music and theater teacher Kristin Duffield and art teacher Dave Underhill, Ospina continued performing in school and community theater productions.
She set her sights on studying theater at Columbia College Chicago.
“I've always been a woman who, when I get something in my brain, I can't get it out,” she said, laughing.
But when her mother suggested she consider North Central College and tour the Naperville campus, she agreed.
“I fell in love with it,” recalled Ospina. “I loved the vibes. Something about it felt magical.”
Returning home that day, she watched a cardinal — North Central's mascot — land on her windowsill. Her decision was made. Four years later, she graduated with a double major in theater and global studies and headed to Chicago, where she continues to perfect her craft working in children's theater.
“You have to be quick on your feet and not take things personally,” said the actor and visual artist, who also paints, draws and makes jewelry.
Because children often express their opinions loudly, actors must have thick skin, said Ospina. She should know. After making her professional debut in 2019 as an ensemble intern in Chicago Shakespeare Theater's “Romeo and Juliet,” she performed with Invictus and BoHo theaters. Her resume also includes playing the titular role in “Carmela Full of Wishes” at CCT and Seattle Children's Theatre. She also performed in AlphaBet Soup Productions and Chicago Puppet Lab shows for young audiences.
She discovered her passion for children’s theater in college when she and her classmates performed for fourth graders. Starring in CCT’s “Carmela Full of Wishes” convinced her children’s theater was the place for her.
“It was my first confirmation that this is what I want to do,” she said.
She currently plays Blue Dog in CCT's lively “Go, Dog, Go! (Ve, Perro, ¡Ve!).” Adapted from P.D. Eastman’s 1961 children’s book for beginning readers in 2003 by playwrights Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz, the show chronicles the antics of a group of canine pals. CCT’s updated version includes a score by Michael Koerner and Spanish translations by Ana Maria Campoy.
Ospina describes the tuner as a “beautiful gift” that demonstrates the accessibility of both English and Spanish.
“I hope children take away how magical theater is,” she said, “and how exciting it is to hear and learn different languages.”
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“Go, Dog, Go! (Ve, Perro, ¡Ve!)”
When: 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday through May 18
Where: Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine Ave., Chicago, chicagochildrenstheatre.org
Tickets: $42.25