Ashton Tibbitt

Ashton Tibbitt is an arts administrator, writer, and creative producer whose work brings together artistic practice, institutional leadership, and the development of new work. As the Department Administrator for the Rita & Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, Ashton supports a vibrant community of playwrights, screenwriters, episodic television writers, educators, students, and professional artists.

Ashton's work encompasses academic and artistic programming, financial and operational administration, staff supervision, space and production management, and the development of systems that help creative communities navigate a complex institution. This has included producing readings, festivals of new work, industry conversations, and other public programs; overseeing administrative processes supporting hundreds of guest artist engagements each year; and leading initiatives to strengthen departmental workflows, communications, and classroom and performance technology. At the center of this work is an interest in how arts and educational institutions can build thoughtful, sustainable structures that give artists, students, and educators the freedom and support to do their best work.

This approach is informed by an unusually broad background in theatre. After an unexpected introduction to the performing arts while studying engineering, Ashton went on to work as a writer, carpenter, scenic artist, props artisan, stage manager, and producer. Moving among these roles created an enduring appreciation for the many forms of creative and practical labor required to bring artistic work to life.

As a lyricist and librettist, Ashton has written across musical theatre, opera, and performance. The Thieving Cactus, with music by Gavin Knittle, premiered at BAM in 2024 as part of The Climate Opera Project, a collaboration between American Opera Projects and the NYU/Tisch Opera Lab. Previous work includes the full-length musicals Hi, I'm Al and A Streak of Lavender. Current projects include an expanded version of the performance piece ±10 and the upcoming play TRASH. Ashton's creative and scholarly interests include queer history, cultural memory, and the recovery of stories that have been obscured or forgotten.

Ashton holds an M.A. in Performance Studies and an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU Tisch, as well as a B.A. in Musical Theatre from Catawba College, and is currently pursuing an M.B.A. at the NYU Stern School of Business. Ashton also represents Tisch administrators on the Tisch Administrative Management Council and serves on the NYU Performance Studies Alumni Committee.

Originally from North Carolina, Ashton loves exploring new places and experiencing how people create and share culture. Past adventures include a solo 13,000-mile road trip across the United States. More recently, the goal has been to visit more national parks and travel whenever possible. Closer to home, Ashton enjoys spending time with his cat, Luna, taking weekend trips around the tri-state area, and making maximum use of his AMC A-List membership.