Hayley Sherwood is a producer, teaching artist, administrator, actor, director, dedicated arts advocate, and open to adding new titles to this list. When Hayley didn’t get cast in the play her junior year of high school, she invited 22 kids in her neighborhood into her living room and directed them all in A Christmas Carol. She’s been inviting people into the participatory act of theatre ever since.
This pursuit has led her to many hats: an actor in schools, manager and producer of theatrical events in non-traditional spaces, teaching artist to students of all ages, director of new plays, founding connectivity director of a new theatre company, a Master’s degree student in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities.
She very much intends to follow this journey open-heartedly. Hayley wants to enter as many creative processes as possible, but feels particularly jazzed by work that stretches the boundaries of performance and invites people into the audience or on stage that have not previously felt included.
January 2020 —
With the new decade upon us, it’s time to reflect! Hayley was busy in the last semester of 2019. She taught a middle school afterschool program for Opening Act for its pilot semester, taught at CO/LAB for the first time (after a year of programming work) and performed onstage with 30 CO/LAB actors!
Hayley also joined the Teaching Artist Affairs Committee for the NYC Department of Education Arts in Education Roundtable, presented at the Arts for All Conference, and was a guest in a classroom at CCNY. It’s such a treat to continue conversations about access in arts in these spaces.
Hayley also attended the Public Works Convening on behalf of Williamstown Theatre Festival. There a small group of dedicated producers discussed the future of community-engaged theatre inside a large theatrical institution. This group is brewing up a revolution.
It seems far away (though it wasn’t at all) Hayley produced her third COMMUNITY WORKS production with Williamstown Theatre Festival. It was a spectacle for the books and she is thrilled to keep making powerful theatre in this way.
May 2019 —
Back at it with the updates!!
This summer, Hayley will return to Williamstown Theatre Festival as the COMMUNITY WORKS Associate for a second summer. This program is the light of her life and she’s thrilled to continue creating artistic opportunities for residents in the Berkshires!
Hayley has been tutoring a lot too! She spends a lot of time with the coolest family in Brooklyn and it couldn’t be more rewarding.
October 2018 —
Wow! Hello! It’s been awhile. Got some very exciting updates!
This month, Hayley accepted a position with CO/LAB Theater Group, an AMAZING organization that offers individuals with developmental disabilities a creative and social outlet through theater arts! She will be a Program Manager with CO/LAB and will manage their co/lab:connect programming! She’s thrilled. Truly.
Last month, Hayley began teaching with Opening Act, which is another GREAT organization that partners with NYC public schools with lower than average graduation rates (that’s as few as 33% of students graduating in four years) and provides high-quality, innovating free after school theater programming!
May 2018 --
Hayley has begun working for Free Arts NYC and will be facilitating free arts days across the city. These events pair students with adults for a full day of arts and crafts and relationship building!
Community Works at Williamstown Theatre Festival is gearing back up. In May, Hayley took two trips to the Berkshires in order to facilitate workshops and auditions for Berkshire Area Residents. She'll be back in June to help produce the third year of the program!
April 2018 --
A reading! At Dixon Place! Hayley had the honor of collaborating with good friend, Jenny Gillette, on her new interview-based play, TOKOPHOBIA (more news on this soon)!
Hayley performed in The 52nd Street Project's Dancemaking Show! Her and her partner, Kimora, performed a dance choreographed by Kimora (a very talented 4th grader) on the theme of fame!
March 2018 --
Hayley is teaching a theatre-making workshop at Florence E. Smith Senior Center in Queens! This lively bunch is brave and she can't wait to help them develop an original show based on their stories. This workshop is through Urban Stages.
Hayley attended the Intersections Summit at Milwaukee Rep (the first of its kind!). Through challenging and thoughtful presentations, she met and collaborated with fellow community engagement practitioners across the country. For videos of the summit, check out Howlround.
February 2018 --
This spring, Hayley will be volunteering with a collaborative and innovative organization called The 52nd Street Project. She'll be paired with a student and over the course of eight weeks, they'll choreograph a dance together to perform for all of their peers!
Tickets are available for the documentary theatre piece Hayley is acting in this winter called of a certain age. You can purchase tickets here.
January 2018 --
Happy new year! Hayley is thrilled to have been accepted into Marquis Studios' Teaching Artist Training Institute. Through this program, she has the opportunity to observe District 75 classrooms and learn more about working in the arts with populations on the Autism spectrum.
Hayley is working with Urban Stages on a touring TYA production that explores myths and legends! This show will make appearances at libraries in NYC. She's playing a wacky archaeologist!
December 2017 --
Hayley is busy collecting interviews for a documentary theatre piece about performing artists over the age of 65. The group of actor/researchers, led by Professor Joe Salvatore, will present a new play at the Provincetown Playhouse in late winter 2018.
September 2017 --
Hayley has joined the acting company of The Story Pirates! Story Pirates is a education and media company that turns kids' original stories into wild sketch comedy musicals featuring professional actors to show those kids just how amazing their ideas are.
Hayley began teaching Storytime Theatre and the Actor's Toolkit through Wingspan Arts, with their after school program dedicated to exposing young audiences to the arts.