Because even if you think it didn't make you? It did. And you have to thank the thing that made you.
- BINDINGS, a solo show
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HALEY SCHWARTZ (she/her/hers)
grew up in the Bay Area to a couple of California hippies who taught her how to meditate before she could walk. Her mom invented whacky characters that sent Haley and her brother into giggling fits. There was the cooking show host, from whom sneaky kids could steal snacks. There was the tiny old lady, a ruthless driver. There was even an Italian racer, always bested in the end by an illusive rabbit. Haley owes her love of acting to her mom's genius sense of play and predilection for the pretend.
Haley is an actor, writer, and educator based in LA. She is a lover of spoken language, and is especially drawn to work in film, TV, and stage that asks big questions in subverted or surprising ways. Her writing uses history, fantasy, and biting wit to celebrate queerness, grapple with environmental apocalypse, and float through grief. Quirk, heart, and darkness are braided together in her artistry. Haley is a proud member of the 2020 Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting cohort and the Lead Faculty Artist/Program Associate at the Middlebury College initiative Beyond the Page. She feels inspired to make work that can meet this moment. Much of Haley's art 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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BAD SWIMMERS: Presented by MeetCute LA
Haley's new play is selected to be produced as a part of MeetCute LA! BAD SWIMMERS tells the story of two women who share DNA. Katie and Dara's parents went to the same sperm donor; they meet at a coffee shop to search for their origins in one another. BAD SWIMMERS makes its world premiere at the LA LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre, alongside five other short plays. Tickets Here dir. Jenna Rossman May 2, 2022 |
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NEWFILMMAKERS LA FILM FESTIVAL
GRAMMABLE. screens as an Official Selection for the March 2022 NewFilmmakers LA Film Festival. Mar 19, 2022 |
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BEST DARK COMEDY FILM AWARD
GRAMMABLE. premieres and wins the award for Best Dark Comedy Film at the Oregon Short Film Festival 2022. Feb 23, 2022 |
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LOS ANGELES SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2022
THE CHAIR is nominated for Best Film in Festival at the Los Angeles Short Film Festival 2022. Feb 8, 2022 |
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ENDGAME: An Audio Mystery
Haley's voice can now be heard in Endgame: An Audio Mystery, presented by Gesso. Endgame is a site-specific radio play, which takes place at specific locations in New York City's Prospect Park in the 1920s. Haley performs as the villainous Caisa. dir. Georgia Wright Jan 10, 2022 |
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BAR DYKES
In October, Haley appeared as Lorraine in BAR DYKES - a one-act play in pantomime and dialog, written by Merril Mushroom. BAR DYKES takes a hilarious and tender dive into 1950s lesbian bar culture. The show was staged inside a real bar, the Broadwater Plunge, with an entirely queer cast. BAR DYKES was a part of Celebration Theater's OUTober, an LGBTQIA+ Festival for National Coming Out Day. dir. Katie Lindsay Oct 10, 2021 |
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THE CHAIR
Haley appeared in the brand new indie horror film THE CHAIR, which premiered at Highland Theatres in Los Angeles. THE CHAIR is about to hit the festival circuit. Get ready. This one is scary. dir. Curry Barker Oct 2021 |
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BEYOND THE PAGE
Haley takes on the Program Associate position at Beyond the Page, a Middlebury College initiative at the intersection of theater and education. BtP uses theater practice and performance in the classroom to provide personal and embodied entry points for students encountering academic texts. BtP is expanding rapidly, revolutionizing interdisciplinary education across the liberal arts. Haley is one of the initiative's founding actors, and is continuing her work as a Lead Faculty Artist while taking on this additional role in leadership. Sept 2020 - Present Follow us on Instagram |
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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." March 28, 2021 |
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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 |
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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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