Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Haley Rice. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Haley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve had such a weird trajectory as an artist, I’m not sure I could even pinpoint where to go if I needed to go back and change it. I started as a singer with dreams of opera and musical theatre, and began that artistic journey very young. I followed it all the way to New York and then… did not book anything. After a dark night of the soul, and some encouragement from a mentor, I began to write– and that opened up a whole new realm of possibilities. Which later lead me to find the courage to produce, and next to direct, then to teach writing workshops, and ultimately embrace the multi-hyphenate artist life that I have now.

I think if I could go back, I wouldn’t start sooner or later– I would give myself permission to feel better about pivoting to something else for awhile and let go of the idea failure. It’s addition, not subtraction.

I still sing– I played 3 instruments as Mash in Stupid F*cking Bird last year– in addition to writing two new pilots, directing my first short film and an off-off play, while teaching my own private class. It’s less about starting sooner and more about living spherically.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m best described as an artistic facilitator. I certainly write, direct, and produce theatre and film, but I have worn many hats on set or in the rehearsal room to help make a piece happen.

I have a production company a co-founded called Messy Stars Productions, recently directing their latest short “This is Love?!” (2025) by Tom Hausher, and I am the Creative Producer for Theatre 4the People, recently directing their latest production Sperm Donor Wanted, or the Unnamed Baby Play by T.J. Young.

I’m really passionate about creating and supporting new work. and I teach 8-week writing labs that help writers flesh out new scripts for the stage and screen. I select many of these scripts for a series I produce called the New Works Series where scripts that are ready for their next level of production are connected with a director and actors and given a staged reading performance in NYC, followed by a talkback with the creative team. This is one of the projects I’m most proud of– I love the community it’s created for my NYC writers.

I think the feedback I get the most often, of which I am most proud, is that I know how to get things done. When someone has a project they want to get off the ground and they don’t know where to start, if they take it to me, I find the way.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think for me, the word that keeps coming up in goal-setting for both my theatre company and production company is “community.” I think community is the only way an artist can survive. And often that means (sorry for the cliche) we have to be the members of the community we want to see in the world.

For me that looks like showing up for other artist’s shows or film premieres, attending cabarets, volunteering to work box office, or donating to a fundraiser if I can. I do my best to show up for others, and it really makes a difference. In a world where the majority of connection is a virtual “like, ” just showing up means something to people. And that is something I try to prioritize in my leadership.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

This isn’t a book or guru, but “check-ins” before business meetings with my production company have really changed how I operate.

If I may disclose– I am not a woo-woo person. I am a workhorse. I want to create and produce constantly, and slowing down is hard for me. Then I began my journey with Messy Stars Productions with Caycee Black and J.D. Brookshire. This film company, like many, had a bumpy start when our fourth partner abandoned us out of the blue, and we had to really decided if we were going to move forward. One of the non-negotiables was weekly production meetings with “Check-Ins”–just sharing where you were emotionally, just a few minutes to let us all know where you are at on this wide plane of existence.

At first I was like… *eyeroll*… But it was something small and easy to say yes to. And wouldn’t you know, little Ms. Workaholic Me suddenly found herself grounded and connected at the start of meetings? Empathy right there on her sleeve.

I’m telling you, a production company is like a marriage, and anything to help remind you that you are not the main character in everyone else’s story helps so much in reminding you of the greater goal and making decisions together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://haleyrice.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_tales_of_hales/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haleyriceNYC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-rice-1688884b
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5962548/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Image Credits

Mikhail Lipyanskiy