Making Staged Theatrical Intimacy Safer

You may have heard of the incredible emerging performing arts industry that has seen a lot of media attention in the months since the start of the #metoo movement. I am referring to the discipline of intimacy direction, coordination, and choreography--a field established by Tonia Sina in 2005 to help direct scenes of intimacy onstage with excellence, safety, and consent.

I have been accepted to the most incredible opportunity an intimacy choreographer can be a part of--Intimacy Director's International 's 10-day workshop intensive at the National Theater Institute. At this advanced training opportunity I will be honing my choreography and physical storytelling skills, learning pedagogy techniques, and expanding my ability to provide mental health and trauma care for casts and crews. This will be a crucial step on my journey to become a  professional Intimacy Director. If I am successful, I will become the only IDI certified Intimacy Director based in New York State outside of NYC.

But I need your help. This incredible training opportunity costs $3000, and that is not including travel for me to get to Connecticut and the National Theater Institute. Your donation will go towards tuition, food, and housing for my ten days of training. The conference is February 12-19, and I cannot tell you how grateful I would be to receive your support by then.

If you have benefited from a vibrant theatre community, if you have been hurt during a production in which intimate scenes were not handled well, if you want to continue to see arts in your community that push the envelope without sacrificing actor safety, if you are passionate about the theatre, if you are passionate about consent,--please consider donating to this valuable and worthwhile cause. I will be infinitely thankful, and I know many actors, directors, producers, choreographers, stage managers, and more who will be as well.