some stuff about me that you won't find on my resume...
bicoastal actor – born & raised golden southern California, then moved to NYC for college & life lived in faster-tempo. now makes a home in beautiful Brooklyn for the best of both worlds.
from an early age could be found wrangling the neighbor kids into experimental performance pieces –discovering the how of communal storytelling from conception to authoring to design to performance.
head over heels for developmental processes, a love fostered throughout college during early collaborations with Grad Musical Theatre Writers @ NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
committed to breaking down casting barriers regarding non-binary performers. & now that that's out of the way let's work together on some Shakespeare, Chekhov, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Williams, Porter – & also new stuff, too, thanks.
hair chameleon AKA can rock literally any hair color or style–except green, jury is still out on green...
*yes, formerly billed as Holly Gould - but this is the spelling that Mama Gould originally intended & it has finally made its righteous appearance in my life at exactly the right moment*
wanna see if we're a good collaborative fit?
reach out to my representation...
Ellery Sandhu
@ the Mine
photos by bianca rogoff
HAWLEY
GOULD
acting • generating • problem-solving
they/them
past projects
*click titles for more information*
it's time to be real...
I really thought it was so clever, formatting my website to answer the basic questions - you just gotta have a gimmick...
Recently though, when I approach these final essential questions, I get kind of jumbled about. For some reason the why to the how (or vice versa) is so much harder & also easier to answer? That probably doesn't make sense...
The why has vast range: as wide as because and as narrow as work through play has been my home for over 20 years. This passion started so small & precious in my heart way back in middle school (sentimental sucker, sorry). It grew me into a garden & showed me the gardens in others: & I think that’s (part of) why I keep coming back to it.
The how changes daily. It varies project to project. It is hard to pin down. It is often wrapped up in imposter syndrome & nerve-wracking. It looks like trying on new things & experimenting & stretching into shapes I didn’t know I could make. Its evolution is invigorating. What never changes about the how is my pursuit of excellence & my commitment to rigor within the form of theatre: for better or for worse, I am here to strive.
I work hard to be here because here is where I want to be. It is the reason I stay curious about our work, about how we make it, & for what purpose. Stories fill my cup, so I come back for more: trying, failing, learning, growing, hoping I can do for others what they have done for me.