I work as an intimacy director, collaborating with performers, directors, and production teams to stage intimate and physically vulnerable moments with clarity, consent, and care. My practice centers performer autonomy, repeatable choreography, and storytelling integrity, ensuring that intimate content is created safely and serves the narrative of the production.
I have been doing intimacy direction work since 2017, and my approach is grounded in training with Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE) and its widely adopted best practices for stage and rehearsal.
Scope of the Role
As an intimacy director, I support productions that include staged intimacy, physical vulnerability, or heightened physical contact. I work alongside the director to choreograph intimate moments and to establish clear processes that protect performers while supporting the artistic vision.
This work may include:
- Choreographing staged intimacy and physical contact
- Establishing consent-forward rehearsal practices
- Facilitating boundary-setting and communication
- Supporting clarity around what is being staged and why
- Collaborating with stage management on documentation and maintenance
- Supporting understudy and replacement processes
My role is to support both the people in the room and the story being told.
Guiding Principles
My intimacy direction practice is informed by core TIE principles, including:
- Consent
Consent is active, ongoing, and revocable. I support performers in articulating boundaries and choices throughout the process. - Context
Intimacy is always in service of the story. We clearly define the narrative purpose of each moment. - Communication
Open, respectful communication is essential to maintaining trust and clarity. - Choreography
Intimate moments are staged with the same specificity and repeatability as fight choreography or dance. - Closure
Rehearsals and performances include practices that support emotional and physical transition out of intimate work.
These principles create consistency, safety, and artistic rigor.
Working in the Rehearsal Room
I approach the rehearsal room as a collaborative and accountable space. I work to ensure that everyone involved understands the process, expectations, and vocabulary of intimacy direction.
My work in rehearsal includes:
- Establishing shared language and working agreements
- Conducting boundary check-ins and consent practices
- Supporting performers in making specific, repeatable choices
- Helping directors translate intention into choreographed action
- Maintaining flexibility as the production evolves
I am attentive to pacing, fatigue, and the cumulative impact of intimate work over time.
Integration with Directing and Design
I collaborate closely with directors, stage managers, and designers to ensure that intimate moments are integrated smoothly into the broader production.
This collaboration may involve:
- Aligning choreography with blocking, movement, and pacing
- Supporting costume, lighting, and scenic considerations
- Advising on visibility, modesty garments, and physical logistics
- Supporting documentation for consistency and maintenance
My goal is to support intimacy work that is invisible in its mechanics and clear in its storytelling.
Experience & Training
I have been practicing intimacy direction since 2017 across academic, professional, and community-based productions.
My primary training is with Theatrical Intimacy Education, and my work reflects their established vocabulary and best practices. I regularly integrate ongoing professional development into my work to remain current with evolving standards in the field.
My background as a director, performer, movement specialist, and puppetry director informs how I approach physical storytelling, consent, and ensemble care.
This Work Is Well-Suited For
- Productions with staged intimacy or physical vulnerability
- Regional and experimental theatres
- University and conservatory programs
- New work development and contemporary texts
- Ensembles seeking clear, repeatable intimacy choreography
Inquire About Intimacy Direction
If your production includes intimate content and would benefit from a consent-forward, story-driven approach, I welcome the opportunity to collaborate.