Austin Dean Ashford is a force of nature.
A former Great Debater of Wiley College, Ashford has earned 21 national championship titles and received top honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in Washington, DC. He is the playwright and performer of two monodramas, Black Book, and (I)sland T(rap), both of which have received multiple awards from various festivals internationally. He has two original albums on Spotify, and a musical special on Amazon Prime. In 2021, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for the song “Negra Del Sur” that he recorded with Diana Burco.
Beginning March 10, Ashford will teach a six-week masterclass called SoloFest at Lubbock Community Theater where he is the artist-in-residence. Participants will learn the basics of playwriting, with a focus on monodrama, and present their work in a showcase, April 29 and 30.
Ashford is in Lubbock to complete his final semester of coursework in the Fine Arts Doctoral Program at Texas Tech. He initially learned about the program while working on his MFA at the University of Arkansas. The two school are both in Region VI of KCACTF region and Ashford was impressed by the recognitions Tech received at the KCACTF festivals.
“I chose Tech in the same way Tech chose me,” explains Ashford. “I would not be able to dive into so much interdisciplinary work if it was not for this doctoral program which also allows me to respect all facets of art. Tech was the perfect package for me, and I'm happy it worked out.”
After starting his performance career in the speech and debate world, Ashford was attracted to theater because of its potential to realize the imagination, as well as reach the community. He is passionate about giving equal access to less fortunate groups of people in the Lubbock community and loves that the School of Theatre & Dance encourages outreach to those groups.
“What keeps me doing this are the people who did it before me,” said Ashford. “What they did was great, and I want to create things that people after me can advance even further. I have many stories that I want to tell, but I recognize that there are many stories I want to see. Storytelling can have an impact on society.”
To younger artists, Ashford stresses the importance of building relationships because he believes performing is easier when you're performing for people with whom you know well. And he urges these artists to get help when they're creating, especially if they're feeling stuck.
“If you ever have a roadblock: collaborate,” he explains. “Sharing your ideas with another brain and another heart can usually free you from whatever blocks you may be experiencing.”
It is all about community.
“If you take care of the community, the community will take care of you.”
“And give yourself time to grow.”
For more information about SoloFest including how to enroll, visit: lubbocktheatre.com/solofestclass.
To learn more about Austin, visit: www.austindeanashford.com.