One Quick Question: What is an intimacy director and why are they important?

WWU Assistant Professor of Theater Eva Gil is an actor, director, producer and educator who has worked in Chicago, New York and regionally for two decades; she is also an intimacy director for theater.

We asked Gil what an intimacy director is, how one trains to become one, and why they are so important in stage and screen productions.

Eva: “Intimacy directors choreograph moments of physical intimacy between actors, just as a fight director would choreograph moments of staged violence. The choreography ranges from simpler physical contact, such as embracing or kissing, to more complex encounters, such as simulated sex acts. 

The work could also include assistance for hyper-exposed moments of extreme emotion or vulnerability for the actor. Intimacy directors also serve as a liaison between actors, directors, and the production team. We offer tools for self-care, working within boundaries established by the actors, using desexualized and de-loaded choreographic language, as well as supporting and educating on best practices for consent-forward work in productions.

Intimacy directors are important for productions in a similar way as fight directors are important, they allow actors to have a concrete plan on how the intimate moments are going to be choreographed so that it is repeatable from performance to performance and supports the storytelling of the production all within the context of the actors’ boundaries. 

There are several organizations which offer training on becoming an intimacy director: Theatrical Intimacy Education and Intimacy Directors and Coordinators are two such organizations. Then I would suggest someone assist a more established intimacy director to learn the ropes.”