Ashley Lee

I am a freelance entertainment and arts journalist who writes about theater, movies, television and the bustling intersection of the stage and the screen. Whether producing unique features, thoughtful commentaries, detailed investigations or tell-all Q&As, my award-winning reporting has spearheaded pivotal conversations about equity on Broadway, culturally authentic storytelling and abuses of power at prestigious companies. I'm enthusiastic about new musicals, bold adaptations and inclusive workplaces, and aim to platform theatermakers who broaden the definition of theater — as an ephemeral art form, a global industry and an unparalleled audience experience.

Before my six-plus years as a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, I was a New York-based editor for The Hollywood Reporter for more than four years. I have written for The Washington Post, Backstage, Bustle, Billboard, Broadway News, NBC News, Playbill and American Theatre, among others. I graduated from New York University with a master's degree in magazine journalism, and from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor's degree in communications.

I'm also passionate about the future of media and encouraging the next generation of entertainment journalists. An alum of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Critics Institute and Poynter’s Power of Diverse Voices, I previously served as the national director of the Institute for Theater Journalism and Advocacy at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. I love speaking to students about my work, and regularly lead introductory writing workshops virtually and in-person. Additionally, I enjoy moderating panels and roundtables, and occasionally make appearances on podcasts and TV news shows.

[email protected]