Fredrick Ashley

Freddie Ashley (Assistant Professor of Acting)

M.F.A. Theatre Performance, University of Southern Mississippi
B.F.A Theatre, Shorter College

Freddie Ashley has been Artistic Director of Actor's Express in Atlanta since July 2007. He has directed nearly 20 AE productions, including Spring Awakening Fair Use (Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top Ten of 2009, Creative Loafing Best Play of 2009), Grey Gardens (Suzi Bass Award winner Best Director of a Musical), Mauritius (AJC Top Ten of 2009, Suzi nomination), dark play or stories for boys (AJC Top Ten of 2007, Suzi nomination), The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Suzi nomination) and I Am My Own Wife (AJC Top Ten of 2007).

Prior to joining Actor's Express, he was Literary Manager of the Alliance Theatre (recipient of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award), where he served as dramaturg for 30 productions and developed work with playwrights including Kenneth Lin, OyamO, Tammy Ryan and Keith Josef Adkins. Freddie has worked as a dramaturg developing new plays at the Alliance, as well as the Kennedy Center, The New Group and Page 73 Productions. In 2002, he received the Elliott Hayes Award for Dramaturgy from the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas and was a recipient of a first-ever Arts Encouragement Award from the Charles Loridans Foundation. He has twice been named Best Director in Atlanta by Creative Loafing (2009 "Readers" Pick, 2010 "Critics" Pick).

Other directing credits include The Last Schwartz (Jewish Theatre of the South); Cabaret (Atlanta Lyric Theatre); A Man of No Importance (Theatre Gael, AJC Best Musical Revival of 2004); Lawrenceburg (World Premiere, Dad's Garage, AJC Top Ten of 2006); and numerous shows with Aurora Theatre including Glorious (American Premiere) and A Catered Affair (Suzi nomination).

Freddie holds degrees from Shorter College and the University of Southern Mississippi and serves on the faculty of Kennesaw State University.