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MISS HOLMES - Lifeline Theatre

"You'll look in vain for a deerstalker cap, but other familiar elements are in place, including the cozy-but-cluttered sitting room at 221B Baker St., presented in Ashley Ann Woods' set as an elevated sanctuary whose bookshelves burst with signs of curiosity — skulls, chemistry sets and the like. It suggests both the heightened intellect at work there and a place of refuge above the shadowy gaslit streets of London. " - Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune

"The excellence continues: Ashley Ann Woods’s sumptuous scene design makes great use of Lifeline’s space, giving director Holmquist a chance to stage chase scenes through the London streets and tete a tetes inside 221B with equal ease." - Allison Shoemaker, Time Out Chicago

"The scenic design (by Ashley Ann Woods) is glorious." - Max Maller, Chicago Reader

"Utilizing a stunning compact yet varied set (designed by Ashley Ann Woods)..." - Tom Williams, Chicago Critic

"Assisting in the creation of the Victorian London underworld are the rich and elaborate visuals Holmquist’s design team have produced. The set by Ashley Ann Woods and the props by Holly McCauley create a sinister, shadowy world full of danger, and the lighting design by Jordan Kardasz helps establish the creepiness of some key moments." - Jacob Davis, Around the Town Chicago

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LA HAVANA MADRID - Teatro Vista

"Scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods has transfigured the Steppenwolf 1700 space into a glittering nightclub. Candles flicker on every table. Stars and disco balls twinkle from the ceiling. There are even flyers for upcoming gigs. This, together with Elsa Hiltner’s dead-on, carefully-curated vintage costumes, lends the production a sense of vivid verisimilitude." - Ian Rigg, Chicagoland Musical Theatre

"Set designer Ashley Ann Woods has transformed the intimate 1700 Theater into a cabaret space..." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times

"Tying the lake to the nightclub is a strong point in Delgado’s book, and it’s carried out well by scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods and costume designer Elsa Hiltner." - Emma Terhaar, Third Coast Review

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PETER AND THE STARCATCHER - Metropolis Performing Arts Center

"Ashley Woods’ gorgeous set easily morphs from the seaworthy ships Neverland and Wasp to a lush and remote tropical island, which eventually becomes Peter’s home, Neverland" - Elizabeth Ellis, PerformInk Chicago

"The performance opens with impressive scenery in the intimate auditorium. Scenic designer, Ashley Woods’ multi-leveled series of wooden platforms and walkways do quadruple-duty as the decks of two ships, a dock and a jungle." - Betsy Wolfe, Chicagoland Musical Theatre

"The scenic design of Ashley Woods impresses upon first sight, and captures the spirit of the scenes both on-board ships and on Mollusk Island." - Christopher Kidder-Mostrom, Theatre by Numbers

"This is two-hours-thirty-minutes of pure fantasy but with a purpose that will warm your heart. Directed byLili-Anne Brown on a strong set designed by Ashley Woods (probably the best set ever on this stage)..." - Alan Bresloff, Around the Town Chicago

"But unlike more minimalist productions requiring theatergoers to imagine a 19th-century English frigate or a secluded South Sea paradise, Metropolis' "Starcatcher" features an elaborate, detailed set by Ashley Woods that's enhanced by Joe Mohamed's lovely lighting." - Barbara Vitello, Daily Herald 

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THE INVISIBLE HAND - Steep Theatre

"The entirety of THE INVISIBLE HAND takes place in a Pakistani prison cell (brilliantly designed by Ashley Ann Woods)..." - Rachel Weinberg, Broadway World Chicago

"The set, designed by Ashley Ann Woods, is detailed and realistic, highlighting the sparse conditions of Nick’s captivity." - Hallie Palladino, Rescripted

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ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Magic City Theatre Festival

"Scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods extremely impressive set provides delightful character and unexpected surprises. The design supports Alice's fall into a new world as a feast for the eyes. It has a whimsical twist of colors spun around industrial scaffolding. It's as if RENT paired with a kaleidoscopically psychedelic amusement park. The feeling captured is a playful madness under construction." - David Edward Perry, Broadway World Birmingham

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BONNIE & CLYDE - Kokandy Productions

"None of the fabulous work of the actors would be possible without the work of scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods and lighting designer Alexander Ridgers. The pleasantly ergonomic set allows for quick, seamless scene changes with minimal amounts of distracting movement, and is illuminated through a fluid lighting design that can suggest ardor or terror in the flip of a switch. This well-oiled background is what gives the show its momentum and allows the audience to focus on the romances and tragedies before them." - Jane Recker, Chicagloland Musical Theatre

"Ashley Ann Woods’ fractured, ragtag, down-and-out set (lit by Alexander Ridgers) conjures the 1930s with artful ease, and Robert S. Kuhn’s costumes are perfectly homespun rather than vintage Hollywood." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times

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POSH - Steep Theatre

"Ashley Ann Woods’ set design transforms Steep’s cozy space into the back room of a backwater pub" - Scotty Zacher, Chicago Theatre Beat

"Ashley Ann Woods and Jenny Pinson’s scenic and props designs create a realistic space that blends into the theatre around the edges, which in this thrust staging, are always visible. Posh was written for large proscenium theatres, but in Steep’s production on this side of the Atlantic, we have a place at the table." - Jacob Davis, Chicago Critic

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THE SNARE - Jackalope Theatre

"Scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods (the rising star behind Steep’s Posh and Lifeline’s Miss Holmes) transforms the top floor of the Broadway Armory into a vibrant, cozy home increasingly infiltrated by darkness." - Lauren Whalen, Chicago Theatre Beat

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THE THREE MUSKETEERS - Magic City Theatre Festival

"The world of the Musketeers is masterfully created in by amazing details created by scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods and lighting designer Jess [Fialko]." - David Edward Perry, Broadway World Birmingham

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HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL

"Visually, the production sets just the right tone. Ashley Ann Woods’ set simply but effectively evokes high school hallways, and the multi-level design gives the ensemble a lot of ground on which to play." - Rachel Weinberg, Performink

"The slightly surreal unit set by Ashley Ann Woods and the realistic and yet somehow surreal pastel-colored costumes of Bob Kuhn, bathed in red-infused light by designer Brandon Wardell, set up the tone of this musical from the get-go." - John Olson, Talkin' Broadway

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SATURN RETURNS - The Neofuturists

"The props have a homey, DIY feel, a collection of objects that are mundane but important to the piece, and scenic design by Ashley Ann Woods makes use of a ladder, some chairs, and a hanging lightbulb to remarkable effect." - Jessie Bond, Splash Magazine

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LOVING REPEATING - Kokandy Productions

"[The musicians] are seated beneath Ashley Ann Woods’ clever set (enhanced by Kate Setzer-Kamphausen’s period-perfect costumes), with a long back wall featuring fine reproductions of many of the great modernist paintings Stein collected." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times 

 

"Walking into Kokandy’s Loving Repeating, it’s difficult not to be wowed by how incredible the set is - Paintings float near the back wall, the entire floor is painted like some sort of abstract, almost impressionist-ish mural. Chunky steps in the back of the stage lead up to a small second level, where furniture, books, and, as soon as the musical begins, Caron Buinis as an old Gertrude Stein reside. But oh, how the set does stun! There were audible gasps at some of the things Kokandy Productions was able to do with it. It’s simply full of pleasant surprises." - John Owen Glines, Chicago Stage Standard

 

"The set is stunning with its levels that allow us into the study of Ms Stein and many other areas (Ashley Ann Woods is a clever lady) and the props design by John Buranosky are wonderful additions to this sterling production." - Alan Bresloff, Around the Town Chicago 

 

"Another major source of the show’s beauty is scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods’s decorating the back wall of the set with the impressionist paintings Stein collected. The colorful Cezannes and Matisses, along with Cat Wilson’s lighting, maintain a vivacious spirit over the evening’s proceedings." - Jacob Davis, Chicago Critic review 

 

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MATAWAN - The Ruckus Theatre

"Scenic designer Ashley Ann Woods cleverly puts viewers onstage facing the audience risers with all seats removed, thereby creating a steep, broad staircase as the primary set piece. Narrowed by side curtains as it ascends and bathed in blue light, the steps suggest the rolling sea rising towards the horizon. All the physical work is quite satisfying." - Jonathan Abarbanel, Windy City Times 

 

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DESPERATE DOLLS - Strawdog Theatre

"Raquel Adorno’s costumes, Jamie Karas’s props, and Ashley Ann Woods’ set stylishly evoke the Swinging Sixties, right down to Pretty Sexy’s go-go boots and the seedy motel room." - Barnaby Hughes, Stage & Cinema

 

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FORGOTTEN FUTURE - Collaboraction 

"The set, designed by Ashley [Ann] Woods, mimics typical school classrooms. Chalkboards adorn the walls along with class spelling words, printed charts about test-taking tips and samples of student work. The play is performed in-the-round, which serves the show well, given the variety of scene settings—from picket lines, to school board hearings, to three particular students’ homes, highlighting their stories." - Mary Kroeck, Newcity Stage 

 

I really really loved the set (by Ashley Woods). I thought it looked like an actual classroom, which I thought was super awesome. The set makes you feel like you are actually in a school which made it more effective. - Ada Grey Reviews for You

 

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THE FULL MONTY - Kokandy Productions

"And the runway finale (on Ashley Ann Woods’ cleverly devised industrial set, skillfully lit by Cat Wilson) is a coup..." - Hedy Weiss. Chicago Suntimes 

 

"No “half-monty,” this likable tale of losers picking up the pieces gets intimately performed on Ashley Ann Woods’ runway/proscenium combo, a sprawling set that takes the hijinks deep into the audience." - Lawrence Bommer. Stage and Cinema 

 

"I also enjoyed Ashley Ann Wood’s set design. The company does a pretty intense musical in a somewhat limited space without setbacks." - Drew Wancket. Chicago Stage Standard 

 

"A tip of the hat to the clever set design (Ashley Ann Woods)" - Around the Town Chicago 

 

" Scenic Designer Ashley Ann Woods creates a gritty feel of a town financially oppressed.  The backdrop has moving dingy walls and a grungy urinal.  The look is very dirty dude oriented. " - The Fourth Walsh 

 

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THE RAID - Jackalope Theatre

"In a typically authentic Jackalope set, Ashley Ann Woods details a jagged Pennsylvania quarry that serves as backdrop for a myriad of happenings" - Scotty Zacher, Chicago Theatre Beat

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UNDER A RAINBOW FLAG - Pride Films and Plays

"Their work is enhanced by ...Ashley Ann Woods‘ beautifully rendered, giant WWII posters and sunshine state postcard set pieces that spin, open and change to create different locations. And what this creative team is able to accomplish in such a modest space is unbelievable."  - Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre

"Ashley Ann Woods has designed a cozy and very adaptable set which serves the story perfectly."  - Phillip Potempa, OffBeat 

"Set Designer Ashley Ann Woods works magic on the production, with WWII vintage print posters lining the top level of the stage, magnificently painted background drops of San Francisco on the main level, and even her trolley-track work-of-art flooring. She works hand-in-hand with lighting designer Garvin Jellison to move the audience effortlessly from setting to setting, with my favorite moments being spotlights against a Pearl Harbor poster (and did I detect an outline of a radio?) while the radio news played to provide a bit of historical background to the theatrical mix."  - Alicia, Storefront City 

"I’m compelled to give a shout out to Ashley Ann Woods for some very nicely painted scenic backdrops of WWII posters."  -Scotty Zacher, Chicago Theater Beat 

"Ashley Ann Woods’ set is two leveled with two different boxes that move around the stage to serve as multiple locations. She deserves a Jeff just for the scenic painting, with each wall on the stage painted to look like various scenes from San Francisco or posters from WWII…KUDOS!"  - Shawn Andrews Smith, Chicago Stage Standard 

 

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5th OF JULY - Infamous Commonwealth

" Ashley Ann Woods’ scenic design fills out the Raven space expertly in creating the worn vastness of the Talley house. " -Jason Rost. Chicago Theatre Beat 

 

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A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE - Polarity Ensemble Theatre

"In Ashley Ann Woods' rough and tumble tenement set you can practically smell the decay, the mold and mildew of the dirty New Orleans apartment with its muddy tiles, naked light bulbs and humble amenities.  It's the kind of squalid place a Southern debutante like Blanche DuBois, no matter how faded a magnolia herself, would be torturously repelled by."  - Joe Stead, Steadstyle Chicago 

 

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YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN - University of Minnesota, Duluth

“Anyone used to the Play Ground’s minimalist stage designs will be quite impressed by what scenic designer Ashley Woods came up with for us to pay attention to behind that curtain."  - Lawrence Bernabo, Duluth News Tribune

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