Ashley was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and feels grateful to have been immersed in the rich diversity of the Bay’s vibrant communities. One of her earliest memories is being in her Portuguese nana’s kitchen, wearing a dish towel filled with bananas wrapped around her head as nana taught her how to sing “Mamãe Eu Quero”. If it wasn’t a pint-sized Carmen Miranda, it was someone or something else Ashley would emulate to entertain or get a laugh. She began studying dance, voice, and acting at a young age and would eventually pursue her passions professionally with the support of her family, through which Ashley shares historically artistic roots- on her mother’s side, she is a relative of “The Tenth Muse”, the Mexican feminist poet, philosopher, playwright, and composer Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Paternally, her ancestors include the Venetian and English musicians and theatre makers employed by the royal courts of Europe, notably Emilia Bassano Lanier, Shakespeare‘s “dark lady” and possible ghostwriter. Storytelling, music, and art are literally in Ashley’s blood, and as a female artist, she feels empowered by these visionary women to share her voice in their legacy.
Ashley is a graduate of AMDA College and Conservatory of the Perfoming Arts in Los Angeles with a BFA degree in Musical Theatre, is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, and is an educator to children, adults, and students with the goal of a professional career in the arts. She’s still wearing fruit on her head, figuratively these days, although there’s always a possibility...
Ashley is a graduate of AMDA College and Conservatory of the Perfoming Arts in Los Angeles with a BFA degree in Musical Theatre, is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, and is an educator to children, adults, and students with the goal of a professional career in the arts. She’s still wearing fruit on her head, figuratively these days, although there’s always a possibility...