Rascal Roll Call- Ashley Whiting

"Don’t fret, the audience member was given a new Butterfinger..."

Rascal: Ashley Whiting

First Rascal Tour

Role: Musical theatre extraordinaire

Lives: Oceano, California (for now)

From: Raised on army bases around the country.

Go-To Biking Snack: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut CLIF bar

Favorite Song-to-Sing while biking: I prefer listening to podcasts.

Cyclist Rating: 3/5

Why did you choose to join Agile Rascal for their Florida tour?

I heard about Agile Rascal during the Montana tour and was interested in joining the next tour, which happened to be in Florida.

Should the need arise, what is your strategy for wrestling crocodiles?

Go for the eyes, and then the jugular; I took self-defense once

What makes you excited about performing and biking in Florida?

I spent my final three years of high school in Tampa but I haven't ventured to many other places around Florida. I'm excited to visit new cities, run into old friends, make new ones, have family members see me perform and I’m especially pumped about taking my bicycle on a boat to the southernmost point of the continental United States.

What is weird or intriguing about Florida to you?

This is not about Florida itself, but my connection to it. Although several of my family members now call Florida home and I lived there for a few years myself, I don’t find the state very welcoming. It’s a place I’m always trying to escape from. It’s weird that this bike tour is taking me back to a place I tend to avoid.

Do you have any personal goals for this theatre project?

My goals for this theatre project include:

1) avoiding injury

2) learning bike maintenance and

3) embracing unfamiliar methods of devising.

Please tell us a funny story from the stage..

This summer, I performed in a musical where I played the villain, a college dean. As this character, I sang a Butterfinger commercial jingle and reached into the audience “asking” for a Butterfinger every show. One night, later in the run, an audience member actually handed me their Butterfinger and I quickly ripped open the wrapper, and took a bite. I couldn’t continue with my lines until I removed the peanut butter from the roof of my mouth. Don’t fret, the audience member was given a new Butterfinger at intermission.

Can you tell us a story of bicycling?

While studying abroad in the Netherlands my sophomore year of college, I rode my bicycle into Germany. I eventually realized that the road

signs were in German and turned around.

Why do you choose to do live theatre?

I have lots of experience working in live theatre and I choose it because I love the immediate audience reaction. Whenever I do on-screen work, it’s more difficult to gauge reactions to my performance.