DIRECTOR

"By creating theatre that asks evocative, challenging questions of audiences, I aim to provide spectators with lasting impressions on ways to contribute to one’s own community and create dialogue that will inextricably lead to social change. Theatre is an imperative starting point for new dialogue. My work incorporates various forms of art and multimedia to break traditional theatrical boundaries.

The objective of my work is to do rather than to say. In this rough political and economic climate, I believe it is our job as artists to motivate change by creating material that allows audiences to question traditional societal roles and think globally..."

- From Ashley's Artistic Statement

Selected directing credits include My Name is Rachel Corrie (Kraine Theater), Documentary: A Suicide Narrative (Playwright and Director/Gene Frankel Theater) Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Pace University), Johnny Got His Gun (Adaptor and Director/Pace University), Ivan's Way Out (American Theater of Actors - Samuel French Play Festival). She's been an organizer and advocate of the V-Day Campaign (www.vday.org) since 2004 and has directed several productions of The Vagina Monologues and A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer. In 2006, she received the national LUNA Bar Award for Production Excellence of The Vagina Monologues. Her production of The Party was nominated for several awards (including "Outstanding Direction of a Comedy") in the 2008 Vignettes for the Apocalypse One-Act Festival. She is an alumni of the American Theater Wing's Springboard 2008 (Directing Track) and the 2009 Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab.

GIRLPOWER: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Written by the 2010-2011 Project Girl Performance Collective

Directed by Ashley Marinaccio and Jessica Greer Morris

NY International Fringe Festival (Robert Moss Theatre, NYC) - August, 2010

GirlPower: Survival of the Fittest is an empowering, ensemble-driven collection of words written and performed by teenagers, struggling with issues they face growing up in today's world. In deeply personal material based on real interviews and experiences, the young women explore topics such as peer pressure, body image, being an outcast, different, flawed, and full of dreams for the future. They share their perspectives on love, relationships, current events, the future and creating change. .

DECADENT ACTS

Written and Directed by Ashley Marinaccio

American Theatre of Actors, NYC - April ,2010

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity (Robert Moss Theatre, NYC) - June, 2010

Set in late 1980s New York City, Decadent Acts chronicles the story of a lesbian couple struggling against legislated discrimination. When television personality Farah White falls fatally ill, her partner, professor Jolene Shatila, along with their daughter Nicole, are faced with unexpected challenges that will change their lives forever. From child custody laws, to hospital visitation rights, Decadent Acts spotlights the harsh reality of discriminatory regulations against same-sex partners, plunging emotional and political depths with grace and searing honesty. At a time when the push for full equality is finally building real momentum across the country, this play couldn’t be timelier.

GirlPower:Voices of a Generation

Written by the 2008-2009 GirlPower Performance Collective

NYC International Fringe Festival - August 2009

Bold. Smart. Fresh. For teens, by teens. GirlPower: Voices of a Generation is an empowering, ensemble-driven collection of words written and performed by teenagers, struggling with issues they face growing up in today's world. Through monologues and spoken word, the young women share their perspectives on love, relationships, the future, and finding power through theatre.  This production is a culmination of our work over the year and was presented at the 2009 NYC International Fringe Festival.

My Name is Rachel Corrie

Edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner

The Kraine Theater, NYC - April 2009

From the writings of Rachel Corrie, a young peace activist whose life was cut tragically short, this play is a testament to the potential for one dedicated person to make a profound impact on the world

Documentary: A Suicide Narrative

Written by Ashley Marinaccio

Gene Frankel Theater, NYC - November, 2008
Documentary: A Suicide Narrative uses testimonial theatre to share the story of a 16-year-old suburban high school student trying to find her identity. When Ariel Valeria falls for a mysterious new student, Fatima Zee, the homophobic attitudes of the school take their toll on the young women. Documentary: A Suicide Narrative combines a contemporary love story with the personal narratives of young adults experiencing similar issues.

GirlPower: Voices of a Generation

Created by the 2008-2009 GirlPower Ensemble

Manhattan Theatre Source, NYC - October 2008

GirlPower: Voices of a Generation is an empowering, ensemble-driven collection of words written and performed by teenagers, struggling with issues they face growing up in today's world. Through monologues and spoken word, the young women share their perspectives on love, relationships, the future, and finding power through theatre.

Dead Man Walking

(School Theatre Project)

Written by Tim Robbins and Sister Helen Prejean

Pace University Schaeberlie Studio, NYC - February 2007

The Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project is an opportunity to broaden discussion about the death penalty and involve schools and their local communities in an inter-disciplinary dialogue about this major social issue. As part of my undergraduate senior thesis, I directed Dead Man Walking. It was presented along side a production of The Exonerated written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen (directed by John Michael Creenan) in a weekend of theatre to engage dialogue about the death penalty.

A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer

Edited by Eve Ensler

(Part of the V-Day Campaign)

Part of the V-Day Campaign this groundbreaking collection, edited by author and playwright Eve Ensler, features pieces from “Until the Violence Stops,” the international tour that brings the issue of violence against women and girls to the forefront of our consciousness. These diverse voices rise up in a collective roar to break open, expose, and examine the insidiousness of brutality, neglect, a punch, or a put-down. V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. The slide show features photographs from two separate productions that I co-directed.