Writer. Producer. Editor of words and ideas.
Born in the Bronx and raised in the suburbs of New York, Ashley has worked in film since the age of 17, when, despite not having a full driver’s license, she found herself PA-ing on the feature film 28 Days (the rom com, not the zombie film 28 Days Later).
11 feature films later (and after working for Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme), Ashley made the switch to theater where she assistant directed an Off-Broadway musical, acted as a script assistant and/or dramaturg on readings and workshops of musicals and plays, and one opera.
In between, Ashley worked in the .com world as the Editorial Director of TheaterMania, Managing Editor of Quiet Revolution, the U.S. Editor for Jamie Oliver, Executive Editor of Jo Frost, and wrote for all of the aforementioned publications in addition to other sites, print publications, and anthologies.
As an editor and researcher for books, the works Ashley has been associated with have spent time on the New York Times bestseller list, LA Times bestseller list, have been Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick for Hello Sunshine, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and won a Newbury Award.
With her collaborator Laura Benanti, Ashley co-wrote, produced, and/or directed over 20 digital shorts including Connie Britton's Hair Secret; the series Laura Benanti Explains (for TheaterMania.com); and the series Workin' It for Radio City Music Hall.’s Spring Spectacular.
She loves working with story in all of its forms, finding it, shaping it, and delivering it in the best version possible for that particular medium.
This is what happens when you hate math class and end up reading books under your desk from elementary school through college. And even during some bad dates.
About Ashley
Born in New York, Ashley has worked in film production since the age of 17, when, despite not having a full driver’s license, she found herself as a Locations PA on the feature film 28 Days (the rom-com, not the zombie film).
While still in college, Ashley worked in the offices of film directors Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme. After graduating, she continued working with Demme for several years, first as an assistant and later in development on film and television projects.
Ashley has produced her own film, digital, theater, and writing projects. She also co-wrote and/or directed over 20 digital shorts including Connie Britton's Hair Secret; the series Laura Benanti Explains (for TheaterMania.com); and the series Workin' It for Radio City Music Hall’s New York Spring Spectacular. Ashley’s most recent work as a consulting producer on tap dancer Ayodele Casel’s Rooted can be seen on PBS’ All-Arts. She conceived, directed, and produced the short documentary so happy to meet you, which premiered at the International Dementia Conference. She is currently expanding that short into a feature-length documentary.
Her work in script development includes musicals (Other World, Ever After, and Now.Here.This.), opera (Dante), and with writer Heidi Schreck on the pilot adaptation of Lauren Groff’s novel Matrix.
As a freelance editor and researcher for books, titles Ashley has worked on have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, LA Times bestseller list, Reese Witherspoon’s book club, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and won a Newbery Medal.
Ashley has written for TheaterMania.com (where she also served as the Editorial Director), Jamie Oliver, Rachael Ray, The Isolation Journals (where she was also a founding editor), Women & Hollywood, and the early days of Mediaite and The Huffington Post. Her work as a ghostwriter has appeared in print and on television.