Ashley won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for "Take Her, She's Mine", then later starred as Corie in the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park" (1963) and, later, as Maggie in a Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1974). She received Tony nominations for both performances. She appeared on Broadway as Dr. Livingstone in "Agnes of God" (1982) and was a replacement in the role of Mattie Fae during the original Broadway run of "".