If intimacy direction is new to you, you may have questions about when to bring an intimacy professional into the process, what the work looks like in rehearsal, and how it can support your artists and your production.
These FAQs offer a starting point for you to consider. If you do not see your question here,
I am always happy to begin with a conversation about what your particular project might need.
What is an intimacy director?
An intimacy director is a creative professional who supports the staging of intimate, vulnerable, or highly physical material. I collaborate with directors and performers to establish boundaries, develop clear and repeatable choreography, and shape the physical relationships between characters in ways that serve both the story and the people telling it.
How do I know if my production needs an intimacy director?
If your production includes kissing, sexual content, nudity, sexual violence, coercion, vulnerable touch, or other physically intimate material, an intimacy director can be an important part of the creative team. I also work on productions where the physical relationships themselves are central to the storytelling, even when the material is not explicitly sexual.
When should I bring an intimacy director into the process?
Earlier is usually better. Bringing an intimacy director into the conversation during pre-production allows us to identify needs, support casting and communication, and collaborate with the director before staging decisions become fixed. That said, it is never “too late” to ask for support when a concern or unexpected need emerges.
Is intimacy direction only about sexual content?
Not at all. Intimacy can include affection, caregiving, vulnerability, power, conflict, familiarity, longing, and the ways characters negotiate closeness. I think of the intimacy director as a curator of relationships, paying attention to the physical vocabulary through which those relationships become visible to an audience.
Will the intimacy director limit what I can do creatively?
My goal is just the opposite. Clear boundaries and specific choreography give us useful creative information. When one choice is unavailable, we can ask, What else might tell this story? I see intimacy direction as a creative partnership designed to expand possibilities while keeping performers meaningfully involved in the process.
What does intimacy work actually look like in rehearsal?
It may include conversations about boundaries and context, developing a shared vocabulary, breaking physical moments into specific actions, choreographing touch or proximity, documenting repeatable staging, and checking that the choreography continues to serve both the performers and the storytelling. The process is integrated into rehearsal rather than treated as something separate from the artistic work.
What happens if performers have different boundaries?
Different boundaries are normal. Boundaries are information, not obstacles. Once we know what choices are available, we can work collaboratively to find staging that communicates the necessary story without requiring performers to override their limits.
Do you work with universities, schools, and training programs as well as professional companies?
Yes. I work with professional arts organizations, universities, educators, students, and training programs. Workshops and consultation can be adapted for performers, directors, faculty, artistic leaders, or entire departments, with content tailored to the experience level and needs of each group.
What if an intimacy concern comes up after rehearsals have already begun?
Reach out. Sometimes the need for intimacy support only becomes clear once performers are in the room and staging begins. I can consult on an existing process, troubleshoot a particular moment, or help determine what level of support would be most useful moving forward.
I’m not sure what services I need. Can you design something specifically for us?
Absolutely. Productions, institutions, and artistic teams have different needs. I am happy to begin with a conversation about your project and recommend a combination of intimacy direction, workshops, performer-care consultation, or other support that fits your particular context.
Let’s work together!
Have a project in mind? Connect with me to explore how we can tailor intimacy support to fit your team's specific goals and vision.
