Intimacy direction involves the careful choreography and guidance of intimate scenes in theater, ensuring that performers' boundaries are respected. These scenes can range from a simple hug between friends to more explicit moments that may involve nudity. Although intimacy direction is a relatively recent development, it plays a crucial role in providing clarity during the creative process. It helps distinguish between the characters' actions and the actors' performances on stage. Intimacy directors can work alongside the main director to realize their vision for a scene or, if needed, handle an intimate scene independently.

Yes! Although both the director and choreographer have similar values and roles, they operate in different areas. An intimacy director helps create performances for live theater, while an intimacy choreographer focuses on film sets for movies and TV shows.

Intimacy directors and choreographers aren't always required to have certification, but it's highly recommended that they study intimacy. This education helps them understand the craft better and ensures the safety of everyone in the production. Furthermore, certain productions might require certification, which can be obtained by participating in classes and workshops offered by organizations like Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE).

The five pillars of intimacy are a framework for creating safe and ethical intimate content in live performances, film, and TV: 

1. Context: "Before any choreography can be considered, there must first be an understanding of the story and the given circumstances surrounding a scene of intimacy. All parties must be aware of how the scene of intimacy meets the needs of the story and must also understand the story within the intimacy itself. This not only creates a sense of safety, but also eliminates the unexpected and ensures that the intimacy is always in service of the story". 

2. Consent: "Before any scene of intimacy can be addressed, consent must be established between the actors. Permission may be given by a director, script, or choreographer; however, consent can only be given from the person receiving the action. Starting choreography from a place of understanding consent ensures that all parties are clear about to which actions they are consenting, and it provides actors with the agency to remove consent at any time".

3. Communication: "There must be open and continuous communication between the intimacy director and the actors. The communication includes but is not limited to: discussion of the scene, understanding of the choreography, continued discussion throughout the rehearsal period, frequent check-ins during the run and an openness to dissent any actions in the process. Avenues for reporting harassment must be made available to the entire ensemble".

4. Choreography: "Each scene of intimacy must be choreographed, and that choreography will be adhered to for the entire production. Any changes to the choreography must first be approved by the intimacy choreographer".

5. Closure: "At the end of every rehearsal or scene of intimacy, actors are encouraged to develop a closing moment between them to signify the ending of the work. This small moment or simple ritual can be used between takes or runs of the scene, and/or upon the close of rehearsal. We encourage this as a moment to leave our characters, relationships, and actions from the work behind, and walk back into our lives. Likewise, we suggest all parties (including outside eyes) exercise proper self-care during and after the run or filming of intimate projects".

(Source: https://winningwriters.com/past-winning-entries/the-five-pillars-of-intimacy-direction)

Although Intimacy direction can indeed be applied to scenes with sexual themes, its use is not limited to that context. According to the Oxford Dictionary, intimacy refers to "close familiarity or friendship; closeness." Keeping this in mind,  we can utilize the methods created by intimacy directors and choreographers to establish safe environments for actors and to create ethical theatrical works. I draw on my experience studying intimacy direction to help the students in my Intro to Acting class express their needs more clearly, establish boundaries, and prioritize consent, resulting in more confident, nuanced, and impactful performances. 

Absolutely! I provide my expertise as an Intimacy Director for live theater performances, along with Boundary and Consent workshops tailored for actors and students of all ages. Contact me for pricing details and more information.