Though she currently lives in Italy, performing with an acting troupe for young audiences, Ashley Jones’ roots are in Danville, Virginia. She lived there her whole life and earned her Bachelors in Theatre at Averett University, but all that changed in 2018 when Jones decided to take the plunge and pursue acting professionally. Since then, she has traveled all over, including Kentucky, Montana, Oklahoma, and Alaska, for acting work. In between gigs, you will find her back home in Danville, Door-Dashing and doing community theatre to keep herself busy.
Jones first got into acting in the ninth grade at Galileo Magnet High School. She credits her theatre teacher, Mrs. Johnson, for being one of the main reasons why she fell in love with theatre. She shared, “Surprisingly, I used to be very shy. Theatre helped me find a new way of expressing my emotions that I hadn’t been able to do before.” When asked if she always knew she would make a career out of acting, Jones responded, “Absolutely! I realized I would not be genuinely happy if I didn’t. Through my journey, I have had to have other jobs outside of theatre, which made it even more clear that I would feel an emptiness in my life if I didn’t pursue my dream.”
When preparing for an audition, the first thing Jones does is research the company she is auditioning for. This gives her an idea of who and what she is going to be walking into and helps inform her decisions when choosing audition materials. Then she researches the show and picks the best monologue and/or song that showcases the type of character she is going for. Once her pieces have been chosen, she said, “I have found that repetition is my best friend. I also like to record my voice and videotape myself prior to my audition to allow myself to study my progress.” If she is offered a role, her next step is to study the script so she can get to know the character and discover what ways she relates to them. This helps her bring the character to life.
Jones’ favorite character she has brought to life is Madam May Do-ya from the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska. “Through this character, I have been able to find a better way to connect and be comfortable with who I am as a person. This was a character/tour guide role. I have always loved creating new relationships with humans. This role has allowed me to do that so eloquently in a very fun way.” Though Madam May Do-ya may have a special place in her heart, if there was any role she could choose to take on, Jones would love to have the chance to play Penny in Hairspray!
While theatre may have taken Jones to many places, there are some things that never change. Before every performance, Jones likes to take “a solid 20 minutes of gratitude and appreciation for where I’m at in life before I go on stage.” This is really her only set ritual, but she is very open-minded and will gladly join in on any pre-show rituals the cast she is working with has. She shared that the best part of putting on a show is “to be introduced to another group of people that I can share the experience with. In every single show or theatre experience I have done, I have developed another family because of it. Some of these people will always be a part of my heart, no matter where our life goes.”
The hardest part of acting, according to Jones, is “to be so raw and vulnerable to the point where you let go of what’s happening in this world. It can be hard, but when you get to that point, it is so rewarding, and that is what drives me.” She has some words of encouragement, however. Jones’ advice is to “Just do it. Put yourself out there. Make yourself uncomfortable. Understand you will get tons of “No’s,” but that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to finally get that ‘Yes.’ I had to learn that the hard way, but now I’m actually living my dreams. If I had given up after graduating college, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
