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HALEY SCHWARTZ (she/her/hers)
is an actor, writer, and educator based in Los Angeles. She is a lover of classical and contemporary text, and is especially drawn to work in film, TV, and stage that asks us to show up for one another, and for our hurting planet. Her writing celebrates queerness, grapples with environmental apocalypse, and explores grief and loss in all its absurd and unpredictable forms. As both an actor and writer, comedy, quirk, heart, and darkness are her favorite investigatory tools.
Haley grew up in the Bay Area to a couple of California hippies who taught her how to meditate before she could walk. Her mother invented whacky casts of characters that sent Haley and her brother into giggling fits. There was the cooking show host, from whom sneaky kids always stole snacks. There was the tiny old lady, a ruthlessly aggressive driver. There was even an Italian racer, always bested in the end by a very illusive rabbit. Haley grew up in these sorts of imaginative worlds and owes her love of acting to her mother's genius sense of play. Haley is a proud member of the 2020 Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting cohort. She graduated into an era of COVID-19. As strange as it is to study for three years to enter an industry that is largely on hiatus, Haley feels inspired to make work that can meet this moment and all it has to teach us about our global community. Something about the timing of all this seems a fitting milestone. Much of Haley's writing is interested in catastrophe (be it psychological, interpersonal, or global) and the resilience of human hope. |
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NEWS
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POPULAR CHOICE AWARD, CURATOR'S HONORABLE MENTION
BINDINGS. sweeps Irondale's On Women Festival, taking home awards in both Popular Choice and Curator's Pick categories. The festival curators write, "we were delighted and profoundly moved by this piece of art and its timely examination of what it means to move through the uncertainty of loss and into a new world with childlike curiosity and grace." |
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IRONDALE PRESENTS ON WOMEN FESTIVAL 2021
Haley's solo show BINDINGS. will appear as part of Irondale's On Women Festival! Any time over the course of the festival, audiences can stream a robust collection of works from artists all over the world and vote for the winners. Buy a ticket for the "New Media Storytelling" category, and don't forget to cast your vote! Tickets Here Runs March 4-26 |
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GRAMMABLE
Haley stars in GRAMMABLE, a short film by Naiyah Ambros that uses dark comedy to explore themes of social media activism, performativity, the voices that are amplified, and those that are disappeared. Haley plays Faye, an influencer grasping at straws as she struggles to stay relevant. dir. Naiyah Ambros Jan - Feb 2021, Release TBA |
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BEYOND THE PAGE
Haley is among the founding actors and curriculum developers for Beyond the Page, a Middlebury College initiative at the intersection of theater and education. BtP uses theater practice and performance in the classroom to enrich the scholarship experience and provide new entry points for understanding texts. BtP is expanding rapidly, seeking to revolutionize interdisciplinary education across the liberal arts. Sept 2020 - Present Follow us on Instagram |
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INHERITED PODCAST, from Critical Frequency
Haley appears on the final episode of Inherited: stories from, for, and by the youth climate movement, the all-new Apple featured podcast from Critical Frequency. In the episode, Haley performs excerpts from her full-length play Moonbox. Through her character Pandora, Haley processes despair, love, hope, and artistry in the age of climate catastrophe. Listen to Inherited wherever you get your podcasts. Oct 5, 2020 |
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2020 WICKHAM PRIZE IN PLAYWRITING
At Zoom graduation from Brown/Trinity Rep, Haley received her MFA and was awarded Brown University's David Wickham Prize in Playwriting. Haley is the 2020 recipient of the Wickham Prize, awarded each year to one graduating student for demonstrated excellence in playwriting. May 22, 2020 |
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BINDINGS.
This spring, Haley digitally premiered her MFA thesis solo show. BINDINGS. is the story of Chrysanthemum-Pearl, the imaginary daughter of Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss "Ted" Geisel.) When Ted and his wife Helen were unable to conceive, Ted dreamed up "C.P." as a comfort for them. By unlocking the tragic story of her past and uncovering the mysterious woman behind our most beloved children's literature, C.P. might just learn about the practice of saying goodbye. BINDINGS. asks, how do we thank the things that make us? May, 2020 |
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BROWN TRINITY MFA SHOWCASE
In support of nationwide efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Brown University/Trinity Repertory 2020 MFA Showcase in New York and Los Angeles has been suspended. Information and Updates |
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MARIE ANTOINETTE
This winter, Haley appeared as the Dauphin in David Adjmi's adaptation of Marie Antoinette at Brown/Trinity Rep. This third-year thesis production mashed the gaudy and exorbitant styles of Pre-Revolutionary France with those of 1980s America, era of Madonna, and featured dance in hybrid styles of ballet and vogue. dir. Josiah Davis Runs Feb 28 - March 8, 2020 |
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STAGE COMBAT
Haley is certified in unarmed stage combat, having received a recommended pass from the SAFD in her unarmed skills proficiency test. Dec 13, 2019 |
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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Haley "sparkles in her role" as Ebenezer Scrooge's cheerful *niece* Fred in Trinity Repertory Company's critically acclaimed production of A Christmas Carol. She is the first female Fred in the play's 42-year history at Trinity Rep. dir. Kate Bergstrom Runs Nov 7 - Dec 29, 2019 |
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MOONBOX
Haley's original full-length play received a workshop through Brown/Trinity Rep in December. MOONBOX investigates love and apocalypse by confronting the impending climate crisis through a lens of Greek Mythology. dir. Josiah Davis Dec 10, 2019 |
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