Supporting Staged Intimacy: A Practical Guide for Theatre Creatives, Managers, and Crew by Alexis Black and Tina M (review)

Reviewed by: Supporting Staged Intimacy: A Practical Guide for Theatre Creatives, Managers, and Crew by Alexis Black and Tina M Shea King (He/Him), MFA Supporting Staged Intimacy: A Practical Guide for Theatre Creatives, Managers, and Crew. Alexis Black and Tina M. Newhauser. New York: Routledge, 2023; pp. 266. Supporting Staged Intimacy by Alexis Black and Tina M. Newhauser does for those who work behind the scenes what Staging Sex by Chelsea Pace and Laura Rikard did for performers and choreographers. The book takes the reader through the entire process of staging intimacy—from casting to rehearsals to performances—and demonstrates how we as theatre educators, administrators, and stage managers can support consent-based work at our institutions. Looking at staged intimacy from the perspective of stage managers and theatre administrators, Black and Newhauser offer ways to shift the language we use in rehearsals and company policies to develop consent-based practices within each production. Not once do these changes feel daunting or impossible to make happen, thanks to the step-by-step descriptions of the processes offered by the authors. Black and Newhauser write with a clarity and patience that gives the reader confidence that they can implement the changes necessary to begin facilitating the consent-based practices offered in this book. The authors define "staged intimacy" as "scenes with intimate physical contact, such as sex scenes and kissing, as well as scenes that contain nudity," which, they write, "can be expanded to include familial and platonic intimacy, sexual tension, and 'chemistry' where no touching occurs" (32). Their first chapter, "Fundamentals of Staged Intimacy," gives a short history of intimacy direction and how it was introduced as a concept for productions in 2006. This chapter describes Intimacy Directors International's Production Pillars of Intimacy, offers approaches to building diverse and culturally specific teams, and provides a glossary of terms to build up one's vocabulary for staged intimacy work, priming the reader for the following chapters in an engaging and practical way. The second chapter is all about creating a culture of consent. Readers might find the discussion of "audition disclosures" particularly useful as these can provide a means of "ensuring that those auditioning are aware of expectations in regard to intimate content in the production" (63). Chapter 3 focuses on the pre-production process, which the authors describe as being an opportunity for creatives "to set intentional practices for auditions and expectations for first rehearsals to opening night and beyond" (96). This chapter defines key terms such as "contract riders," which are additions to established contracts, and "modesty garments," pieces of clothing that "provide coverage for actors during breaks or pauses in rehearsals that involve staged nudity" (97). It goes on to describe how the director, intimacy director, and stage manager overlap, and it offers approaches to giving student actors agency within academic institutions. Chapter 4 takes us into the rehearsal space and highlights a plethora of examples for how to lead a consentbased rehearsal. This chapter provides both fill-in-the-blank sentences for practitioners to use when staging intimacy and pictures illustrating concepts such as "distance" and "tempo." This leaves little to the imagination, enabling readers to easily use these tools in their own practice. Technical and dress rehearsals are the subject of chapter 5. According to the authors, at this point in the process intimacy work goes from "the creation phase to the preservation phase" as new people are introduced to the actors and the production moves from the rehearsal studio into the performance space (204). This chapter also covers how to run a "crew orientation," so the cast and crew can mutually appreciate and understand the vulnerability of the performers on stage. There are tips for self-care for those working on the show so as to maintain a healthy process during the long tech hours. Chapter 6 takes up staged intimacy during performances, outlining all the housekeeping involved when a production is ready to bring in an audience. This chapter explains how to extend the culture of consent to include those attending the show. The authors argue for the necessity of an "audience content notice" to welcome an audience into the work...