Christopher Ashley Biography

Christopher Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1984, where he studied Math and English. In 1997, he completed The Drama League program for directors. He was appointed artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse, California, in 2007

During his tenure at La Jolla, he has helmed the Playhouse’s productions of Come From Away, Chasing the Song, The Darrel Hammond Project, His Girl Friday, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Dram of Drummhicit, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Restoration and Memphis, which won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Prior to joining the Playhouse, he directed the Broadway productions of Xanadu (Drama Desk nomination), All Shook Up, and The Rocky Horror Show(Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), as well as the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd (Helen Hayes award for Direction) and Merrily We Roll Along. Other New York credits include: Blown Sideways Through Life, Jeffrey (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards), The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla, Regrets Only, Wonder of the World, Communicating Doors, Bunny Bunny, The Night Hank Williams Died, and Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel Award), among others. Mr. Ashley also directed the feature films Jeffrey, Lucky Stiff, and the American Playhouse production of Blown Sideways Through Life for PBS. Mr. Ashley is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Director Fellowship and an NEA/TCG Director Fellowship.

In 2017 he received a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for "Come From Away".

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