Influencer: Ashley Tribble

You have many things going on, including writing a screenplay.
Tell us about that.

I’m working on my first feature, Mascot, a story about a young woman running from her old life who becomes a mascot for a semi-professional basketball team. It’s a quirky comedy about queer love and friendship. I’ve been working on it for a few years and I’m hoping to get it made one day.

Any go-to places to share?

I love LitArts RI. It is a co-working space in Providence for writers and podcasters and the atmosphere is so warm, welcoming, and encouraging. I’ve only lived in Rhode Island since June, and LitArts has been such a support for me here.

How did being a stand-up comedian enter the picture?

When I was living in Chicago, I had started podcasting and hosting live events. I’ve always been “the funny friend” and I would write funny bits on Facebook at the time. Chicago has an amazing and supportive arts community that I had gotten more involved with over the years, and one day a friend who had been curating and hosting a variety show for years asked me if I wanted to perform at the show. At that point I never did stand-up before, but I had always been a super fan of stand-up and wanted to do more performing, so I said yes. After that, I kept getting booked for shows and I started to actually work on the craft. I took classes at the legendary Second City and at Lincoln Lodge in Chicago. I found a few mentors and the rest is history.

You continue to build an impressive list of credentials. Any advice for someone on how to get started?

I have a tattoo on my arm of a catfish in a catsuit. This is because I truly believe that you have to see yourself as who you want to be, not just who you currently are, if you want to achieve something great. I started to call myself a podcast producer before I ever worked in the industry. I called myself a comedian before I ever performed on stage. Of course, I still worked on my craft, studied, and put effort into the things I wanted to do. But I think the best thing you can do for yourself is be absolutely delusional and envision who you want to be. Catfish yourself.