It's more than a stage kiss...

Thanks to a grant and support from the Faculty Development Committee of Hanover College, I've began work in a new training area, intimacy coordination.

I know what you're probably thinking: What is intimacy coordination?

For decades, theatrical productions have utilized fight directors to ensure the safety of performers tasked in the performance of stage combat and violence. These fight directors study safe practices in staging various forms of violence on stage—i.e. rapier, broadsword, hand-to-hand combat—and complete both written and demonstrative testing to show their mastery of these skills. By utilizing these individuals in productions, both performers and institutions are sure they are both safe and protected when staging violence and combat on stage.

However, when performers are asked to stage any form of intimacy, they are most often asked to develop their actions on their own, or with the production’s director. The current practices of staging intimacy not only result in inconsistent performance, but often results in unsafe and uncomfortable working conditions that can results in harassment, both unintentional and intentional, and in some cases even lawsuits. This is all too apparent, as multiple theatre companies have faced lawsuits for not having these safeguards in place for their performers, and as a result have been forced to closed their doors.

The training is significant to me, both as an instructor and a theatre practitioner, because it would give me a skillset that is being recognized as highly necessary in the theatre community, but is still uncommon. With the rise of demand for intimacy directors, many of the country’s major theatre companies are adding full-time intimacy directors to their staff, including most recently the Tony Award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The recognition for the need of trained individuals is there, but there aren’t enough skilled intimacy directors working to ensure every company can utilize the service.

But the most important benefit of completing this training is it allows performers who work with me to be assured their mental and physical wellbeing is priority. It gives these performers an example what safe and regulated intimacy direction should look like, which is crucial in the age of the #MeToo movement. I hope with this knowledge performers can will be able to prevent assaults and harassment during their artistic endeavors.

I've selected to do my initial training through Heartland Intimacy Design and Training. This unique program is completed online, which fits great the hectic schedules of educators and freelancers. While the training is completed online, the training includes required assessments, which provides feedback and confirmation of the mastery of the concepts.

Thanks again to Hanover's FDC! I'm so excited to get started on this new work!

Photo by Greg Williams from Lees-McRae Summer Theatre's 2019 production of Mamma Mia! Scenic Design by Rebekkah Meixner-Hanks; Costume Design by Alice Neff; Lighting Design by Todd Teagarden. Picture is Erica Bigelow as Sophie and Troy Patrick as Sky.