I built this life on purpose.
I've spent my entire life in performing arts. Not as a hobby or a backup plan - as the thing. The degree, the contracts, the classroom, the audition room, the rehearsal hall. All of it. At this chapter of life, I'm doing the most creatively alive work of my career.
My Story
I grew up in performing arts. Trained seriously, earned my BM and MFA, and built a career on stage before transitioning into a decade plus of teaching musical theatre at the college level. I believed in what training could do when it was done right.
That last part mattered more than I expected.
I watched talented students come through programs shaped by outdated methods, high-pressure, trauma-adjacent, built on breaking people down. I knew from my own training and mental health what that cost. I pushed back. I advocated. And eventually I had to make a choice: keep trying to change a system that wasn't ready to change, or step out and do the work I actually believed in.
I stepped out.
Not away from what I'd built, I took everything with me. The inside knowledge of how theatrical training works. The decade of one-on-one coaching relationships that taught me more about human potential than any pedagogy textbook. I brought all of it into private coaching and mentorship.
Over the last several years, I've added on camera work to my body of work on stage - film, commercial, industrial - building a practice that understands both the artistic and business sides of a long term performing career.
Our Story
My partner Tim and I met performing on cruise ships. We left our last contract together, eventually married, and spent the next chapter building academic careers in theatre. Recently, within a few years of each other, we both walked away from academia to return to what we loved.
He's now one of the most sought after violinists for luxury weddings and events. I'm acting and coaching full-time.
We built this life on purpose. That's the thing I want people to know - it wasn't accidental, and it wasn't easy. It was a long series of choices, some of them hard, some of them wrong, all of them instructive. We're in our 40s living the version of this life that we actually wanted, and neither of us takes that lightly.
That's the energy I bring into every acting job and every coaching session.
Credentials & Quick Facts
BM in Musical Theatre - University of Central Oklahoma
MFA in Musical Theatre - San Diego State University
10+ years as a college musical theatre professor
Highlighted musical theatre credits: Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Janet Van de Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone, Caroline Neville in Titanic, Mary Martin-of-Tours in Sister Act, Princess Fiona in Shrek and Alison Bechdel in Fun Home.
Current on-camera credits: The Party at Clarissa Dalloway's (Lead), What Was Mine (Supporting), and a newly booked vertical drama project. Commercials and industrials for major brands and companies.
YouTube: Musical Theatre Pro with Ashlee Espinosa: career insights, audition strategy, and the business of performing.
Bi-coastal between Southern California and NYC but most days you'll find me at home in California, cooking and in the garden.
What my clients are saying
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![Headshot of Katherine G. Tracy, NYC-based performer and coaching client of Ashlee Espinosa.]()
"Working with Ashlee has helped me refocus as a performer, shifting my attention away from others’ expectations and toward my own strengths. I’ve rebuilt my book, recognized my unique presence in the audition room, and even rebuild my website.”
Katherine G. Tracy, NYC Based Performer
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![Laurie Roldan performing onstage in her cabaret show, client of Ashlee Espinosa's career coaching.]()
"Ashlee has helped me update my website, patiently guided me through tech overwhelm, and built a professional email campaign for my shows. I'm so grateful for her support—and plan to keep working with her!"
Laurie Roldan, Cabaret Show Performer
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![Professional headshot of Melissa Momboisse, California-based performer and coaching client of Ashlee Espinosa.]()
“Want to run your audition by an experienced director? Ashlee. Want advice from someone who is actively auditioning right now? Ashlee. Need help with the business side of MT from an experienced entrepreneur? Ashlee. I can honestly say that working with Ashlee has inspired me to pursue and do roles I never thought I'd be able to.”
Melissa Momboisse, CA Based Performer
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![Professional headshoMia Catalano, Bi-Coastal actress and coaching client of Ashlee Espinosa.]()
"Ashlee is such a professional and simultaneously so caring and supportive of her clients. She has given me so much guidance in not only auditioning, but in other essential aspects to being a full-time performer. I have so much more clarity and confidence than I ever could have imagined!"
Mia Catalano, Bi-Coastal Actress
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![Professional headshot ofLeo Chang, NYC based performer and educator and coaching client of Ashlee Espinosa.]()
“Working with Ashlee is like enjoying a sunbath, with all the wisdom and positive energy naturally pouring on you. She continues to expand her knowledge and skillset to be the best educator and advocate for her students. If you are looking for a humble, kind, inspiring artist and educator, you are at the RIGHT place.”
Leo Chang, NYC Based Actor & Educator
