Janine Ashley

Storyteller. Theatre Artist. Narrative Coach.

rooted stories. restored hope. reclaimed power.


The ancient Greeks called theatre the seeing place: the space where humans play at being human, make meaning, share their stories, and see themselves reflected in each other’s.

That seeing is also how we discover we’ve been living in the wrong story. Most of us are walking around inside narratives we didn’t write handed to us by families, faiths, relationships, and systems that cast us as supporting characters in someone else’s plot. Theatre and the narrative arts are how we finally see them, sometimes with tears and sometimes with a laugh that surprises you.

This is a space for restorying: narrative arts as the path in, narrative awareness as the moment of seeing, narrative agency as the power to take your story back. All of it is held in Slow Theatre, storytelling, coaching, and more than a little play. Whether you’re an artist, a healer, or someone seeking a different way to move through your life, you’re in the right place.

Take root. Take wing. Take back your story.

Narrative Triad Triskelion

The Narrative Triad

Narrative arts. Narrative awareness. Narrative agency. This is the framework Janine developed to describe the journey from the story you were handed to the one you actually want to live.


It’s not a therapy model or a self-help program. Rather, it’s a map, drawn from theatre, folklore, and the oldest human practices of making meaning together. Each concept builds on the last, and together they form the path that runs through everything on this site

The Work

Your story, multiple ways in.

Reclaim your story, hope, and power through one-on-one and group coaching through the narrative arts.

Keynotes. Performance-lectures. Storytelling stages. Narrative awareness, delivered with more than a little theatre.​

Participatory, trauma-informed performance as a path to collective healing. Theatre for Hope and Healing, live and online.

Structured spaces for storytellers, actors, and anyone ready to play: Safe Place to Play methodology, Restorying Hope workshops, Shakespeare technique, and more.

years of
experience

0
About

Janine Ashley

Janine Ashley is a storyteller, theatre artist, narrative coach, and trained folklorist based in Chicago. Her work sits at the intersection of narrative arts, narrative awareness, and narrative agency — the practice of seeing the stories running your life and taking authorship back. She has spent twelve years in theatre and the healing arts, and she brings genuine warmth, deep craft, and more than a little play to all of her work.

The Work, Live

Slow Theatre

A glimpse of theatre as a healing art — performance, presence, and the conversation after. These clips are from Ibsen’s Ghosts: A Slow Theatre Ritual for Mental Health & Collective Healing, Chicago, March 20, 2025.

 

Coming Up: April 26

Bughouse Theatre, Chicago. An excerpt from Mere Animal: A Vindication of Mary Wollstonecraft — a solo show in development — performed as part of Fillet of Solo, an afternoon of live storytelling featuring emerging voices directed by Eileen Tull.

"Whether it be Shakespeare or Faulkner, Janine works wonders. Her sensitive and empathetic approach helped me feel free to explore text, movement, and take constructive criticism. She helped me through stumbling blocks like dialect and gave me an organic understanding of blocking and gesture."

Patty

Memphis, TN

"Janine is passionate about her work and provides a warm, welcoming environment for others to share in it. The intersection of narrative and mental health — something I hadn't taken much time to process — finally has a space."

Alex

Toronto

"My son thoroughly enjoyed Janine's Romeo & Juliet class. Her passion and depth of understanding inspire appreciation for these timeless works. Her wit and clever execution provide a relatable foundation for students of all ages."

Wendy

Memphis, TN

Ready to take back your story?

I read every message. -Janine