The Process of Working an Intimacy Coordinator or Director

elodieabass

Oct 8

4 min read

You’re a director (or a theatre company) considering using an intimacy director or coordinator to assist your next production. You’ve heard how we can help with making moments of intimacy on stage safe, collaborative and detailed. Maybe you’ve used a fight director before and felt the difference that made to the show.

So, you’ve begun your research.

But unlike a fight director, working with an intimacy coordinator or director may be a completely new process to you.

So the question is, what happens once you find an intimacy professional you like the sound of? What is the process you can expect? What will it be like working with them?

I can’t tell you how other intimacy directors works – we all work in different ways, like any creative professional. But I can tell you what to expect when you begin working with me. And hopefully arming you with that knowledge will make the process feel a little less uncertain.

For the sake of illustrating this process, I will assume my primary contact is the director. Each production I work on is slightly different, so these steps may vary for you. Consider these steps like a rough guide.

1. Receiving an Enquiry

The first step is usually an email coming into my inbox from a production (be it from a director, a stage manager, a producer or someone else from the production). This first enquiry usually provides some detail about the show in question, and roughly where you think you would like my help.

Preferably this first enquiry will arrive before the rehearsal period has started – and ideally, before the auditions.

I aim to reply in a timely manner, telling you about how my process works, how the intimacy rehearsal itself will go, and a few bits and pieces of information I need from you.

2. Initial Call

Once we’ve made initial contact, if possible, we will find a time to have a quick call to talk through everything in a little more detail. This can be done either over the phone, or via WhatsApp (video or audio), Teams, Zoom, Google Meet or any other platform you prefer to use.

This is a good opportunity for you to see whether I’m the right for fit your production, whether you would like to work with an intimacy director at all, as well as ascertaining the level of involvement you would like from me. This might be just a one-off intimacy rehearsal, or it might also include an additional whole cast workshop, or a dress rehearsal re-visit to tweak and refine the moments after they’ve had a few weeks to bed in.

3. In the Meantime

During the call I will request a few pieces of information; the rehearsal schedule, the script and the dates you are considering for the intimacy rehearsal(s). I will also ask for a specific list of intimate moments you would like included in the intimacy rehearsals, with page numbers.

Once that has been sent over, I will read the script, and confirm a date for the intimacy rehearsal.

4. Contacting the Actors

I will also ask for a list of the actors who will be involved in the intimacy rehearsal. Once things are confirmed with the director, I will email the relevant cast, introducing myself and outlining what moments we will be working on, and what to expect from the rehearsal.

This gives actors an introduction to the idea of an intimacy rehearsal, and it gives them the opportunity to flag any boundaries they might have around the moments we will be looking at. It also gives them a chance to mention any other moments they would like to look at, that haven’t been included in the list.

Many actors have never experienced an intimacy rehearsal, so this is a really important step to put them at ease.

5. Second Call

Closer to the rehearsal, the director and I will have another call. This will enable us to go through each of the moments of intimacy in detail, so I can have a clear picture of what the director envisages. It is very important to me that we are on the same page, and that I am fully equipped to be able to serve the vision of the director and the story being told.

We might discuss specifics about the kind of action involved, or a particular moment you can see clearly in your head. Or it might be more fluid, exploring the tone of the moment (e.g. comedic, romantic, tense) and how we want the audience to feel during those moments (e.g. entertained, moved, disturbed).

6. Intimacy Rehearsal

I will go into more detail around what to expect from an intimacy rehearsal itself in another blog post. But in summary; I will spend the time with different combinations of actors developing the moments on intimacy, to then present to the director. From there, we receive feedback and continue adjusting the moment until everyone is happy.

We may have just one rehearsal together, or if it's show with a lot of intimacy, I may be in for several dates.

7. Rehearsal Debrief

Soon after the intimacy rehearsal, I will email both the actors and the director debriefing from the rehearsal. I may include details that need following up on, such costume discussions or set details.

And therein ends our time together. If I am due back for a dress rehearsal, then I will check in a few days beforehand, and debrief from that as well. And beyond that, I am always available to actors, the director and the rest of the creative team if any queries come up once I'm gone.

And that’s it, a rough guide to working with an intimacy director. By the end of this process, we will have achieved what we set out to; creating detailed, compelling moments of intimacy on stage, whilst prioritising both the boundaries of the actors and the vision of the director.

If this sounds like a process you would like to try out, you can find out more about my various rehearsal and workshop options here. Or you can drop me an email here.