Most people who to go the movies or the theatre know that there's always a fight choreographer on the behind the scenes team to choreograph any kind of violence between actors. It might range from a simple shove to something much more elaborate like sword play. However in 2016 a new branch was founded - intimacy directing. Let's face it, kissing or simulating sex with a co-worker is awkward at best or leads to terrible situations at worst. The Me Too scandals that have rocked Hollywood have made it abundantly clear that this type of protection is absolutely necessary for a healthy and safe acting environment.
Artists can now be certified as Intimacy Directors via a nonprofit organization. You can read more about their mission and training here. The New York Times has laid out a pretty interesting story about this here and it's worth a read.
When we read The Nether with its very difficult role of Iris, it was pretty clear that we needed to bring in an expert to work with the actress, a high school student, the rest of the cast, and be very transparent with the parents to make sure that everyone was on the same page and felt good about what was happening. We're so proud of what Arcadia Conrad, the Intimacy Director for The Nether, brought to the show and we'll utilize Intimacy Directors again for Spring Awakening, a teen musical, and The Baltimore Waltz.
The Dragon Theatre is a small 65 seat black box theatre in downtown Redwood City that presents unusual plays year-round.
What a great article! Thank you for shedding light on this important field and thank you so much for the opportunity to work on The Nether and Spring Awakening...see you in rehearsal!
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