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HALEY SCHWARTZ (she/her/hers)
is an actor, writer, intimacy choreographer, and teaching artist based in Los Angeles. She is a lover of both classical and contemporary texts, and is especially drawn toward work in film, TV, and stage that asks us to show up for one another, and for our hurting planet. Haley loves work that celebrates queerness, grapples with environmental apocalypse, and/or investigates grief and loss in all its absurd and unpredictable forms. Comedy and quirk 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 ridiculous characters that sent Haley and her brother into giggling fits. Each character had a distinct voice, song, and setting. There was the cooking show host, from whom naughty children 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 sneaky rabbit. Haley grew up in these sorts of imaginative worlds and owes her love of acting to her mother's genius sense of playfulness. Haley is a proud member of the 2020 Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting cohort, graduating in an era of COVID-19. As strange as it is to study for three years only to enter an industry that is mostly on hiatus, Haley feels challenged and 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 in her life and artistic journey. Much of Haley's playwriting is already interested in catastrophe (be it psychological, interpersonal, or global) and the resilience of human hope. |
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NEWS
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BEYOND THE PAGE
This fall, Haley is working as an actor and curriculum developer for 'Beyond the Page' in its premier semester. The cutting-edge initiative at Middlebury College sits at the intersection of theater and education by imagining new embodied pedagogies. BtP brings actors into graduate and undergraduate classrooms across academic disciplines to give students "an opportunity to experience what they’re reading, writing, or researching in an embodied, affective, and affecting form – to see, hear, and feel the force of text and thought and to be fully immersed in the moment of inquiry." BtP is expanding rapidly, seeking to revolutionize interdisciplinary education across the liberal arts. Sept - Nov, 2020 |
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INHERITED, from Critical Frequency
Haley was featured 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 final 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, which is awarded each year to one graduating MFA student at Brown University for excellence in playwriting. May 22, 2020 |
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BINDINGS.
This spring, Haley premiered her solo show digitally as the culminating thesis of her MFA. 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? Contact Haley to request viewing link 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. There is currently a plan in place to film showcase and make it available digitally later this spring. 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 Running through 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 the lens of Greek Mythology. dir. Josiah Davis Dec 10, 2019 |
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