Feature on Canvas Rebel

Here’s an interview with me talking about some important things to consider when learning to become an Intimacy Professional.

Review for Lovesong at Thinking Cap Theatre

I had the honor and collaborative joy of serving as intimacy director and movement director for Lovesong at Thinking Cap Theatre in their new space in Hollywood.

South Florida Theatre Magazine review

Live Arts 23-24 Season Wrap

This week I have production meetings for 3 shows in organizations 24-25 theatre seasons, so it seems like a good time to wrap 23-24!
-3 shows as an ID (one was both dance and intimacy) that played out of state
-15 professional productions creating dance, intimacy, and/or violence
- 6 shows in educational settings with intimacy or dance by me
And 24-25 is off to a strong start!

Book Drop!

My first, and definitely not my last, book contribution combining my work in intimacy direction and dance is now available.

Check out “The Intimacy Coordinator’s Guidebook”, edited by Brooke M. Haney, with contributions from professionals in various specialties. My contributions can be found in chapter 16, specifically on academic dance and touch in dance. My contributions are alongside those of Intimacy Direction in Dance co-founder, Sarah Lozoff.

Order your copy today!

New Photos and Videos up on Work Samples page

Head over to my Intimacy Choreography page to see photos from City Theatre’s Summer Shorts: Homegrown Edition, as well as the trailer for Jagged Mind, now available on Hulu!

Me, wearing my Intimacy Choreographer mask at Opening Night of City Theatre’s Summer Shorts: Homegrown Edition. Photo by Morgan Sofia Photography.

New Free Downloads

Over on the “Why Hire an Intimacy Choreographer” page, I’ve created 3 new, free, downloads that I think might be useful for theatre or dance companies or production companies or studios considering whether an Intimacy Choreographer is the right fit for the project, and what they can expect that to look like:

1. 5 Questions to ask when Hiring an Intimacy Choreographer

2. Intimacy Coordination Overview

3. Intimacy Direction Overview

As this is my website, the views expressed on this page, that page, and in those documents are solely my own.

Intimacy Direction Conversation in South Florida Theatre Magazine

Last week, Luis Roberto Herrera, Gaby Tortoledo, and I sat down for a conversation about what intimacy direction is, and how it can support actors for South Florida Theater Magazine. You can check out the whole piece here. Hopefully, this is the start of a larger conversation with the community!

Bad Behavior in Theatre Communities

Shows with nudity, intimacy, and/or hyper-exposure require extreme vulnerability from actors. We have consistently seen actors in our community provide incredible performances in relevant, nuanced shows, in these states of vulnerability.

Sadly, they often get reduced to their bodies' appearance, rather than their skills in transporting us into a story. Also, how ridiculous that that those of us who are professionals in the crafts of theatre-making are doing this. We have the best opportunity to discuss technique, skill, character, and story, but we go for looks?!

Safety in theatre or in film doesn't just include creating a safer space for work to be done. It also means respecting the work AS WORK and our colleagues (and even when we are audiences, we are still colleagues) AS COWORKERS. Exploitation and harassment have no place in a workplace.

As a community we should be disappointed and horrified when exploitation and harassment happen, and are not met with resistance or the desire for change. We absolutely should less safe when one of us not safe.

This is not about 1 person or 1 incident. This about bad behavior.

No matter who is committing the exploitation or harassment, no matter who is receiving it: it is exploitation or harassment.

Carbonell Nomination

Thank you the Carbonell judges and the South Florida theatre community for the nomination of Outstanding Achievement of an Artistic Speciality. And deep gratitude for the Theatre Lab team for putting the Intimacy Choreography for To Fall in Love forward for consideration, Lou Tyrrell for being an incredible collaborator, and Matt Stabile and Niki Fridh for being the beautiful, brilliant performers they are.

See all the nominees here.

Just like with the Silver Palm post below, I want to take this opportunity to point out that “Intimacy Direction supports good story-telling!” Because, honestly, being a part of a team that helped support these performances, is what the work is.

I was the Intimacy Director for 2 of the 6 of the nominees for Outstanding Production of a Play- GringoLandia and One in Two. These same two productions also appear in the Director category, and Stuart and Delicia were certainly outstanding to work with! UPDATE: Delicia won!

1/2 of the actors nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Male Role in a Play performed Intimacy Choreography- Tom in I Hate Hamlet and Nathaniel and Randall in One in Two. UPDATE: Tom won!

Two of the Lead Actress nominees performed Intimacy Choreography- Natalie Cordone in I Hate Hamlet and Lindsey Corey in Overactive Letdown. UPDATE: Natalie won!

GringoLandia and Overactive Letdown appear multiple times in the Supporting Actor and Actress categories. I Hate Hamlet and Overactive Letdown also gathered noms in technical categories.

Seeing productions and actors get noticed for doing work that some might consider “too choreographed”, “inauthentic”, or some of the countless other criticisms lobbed at this work is my reward. Intimacy Choreography, Intimacy Direction, make excellent art! If I get to give a speech, I shall shout this!

See the full list of nominees in the Broadway World Press Release here, and the explanation of changes here.

How does an Intimacy Director Help Actors?

Earlier in September, I had a post about How an Intimacy Coordinator Helps Actors. And really, it’s basically the same for an Intimacy Director working in theatre, instead of in film. You can check that out here, or the previous post, What Does an Intimacy Director Do? for more.

There are a couple of differences:

• An Intimacy Director will review performance reports for anything that has gone off or any needs the productions have. I’ve had a scene need to be looked at again, because a costume piece had changed. If I hadn’t read the report, I wouldn’t have know about the change, and asked how it affected the intimacy.

• An Intimacy Director will create separate choreography for understudies that fit their boundaries. An Intimacy Director will also create a “Plan B” or “Health Option” for all contact-kisses that removes soft tissue contact, in case an actor isn’t feeling well. Whether it’s a cold, a cold sore, or COVID, folks shouldn’t being kissing while not feeling well. We’ll provide excellent choreographic options that keep everyone safe, and the story-intact.

• Since many Intimacy Directors are local to the theatre company where they are working, an Intimacy Director will help promote your show! More butts in seats are better for all of us!