Since the 2017 broadcast of Film Producer Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct, Hollywood became the epicentre of the #MeToo movement (Hilton, 2020). The outbreak of Actors who came forward ignited the concept of and discussions around Intimacy Coordination, propelling the Film industry into a new way of thinking. Intimacy professionals are “experts on topics related to intimate material, including but not limited to sexuality, gender, relationships, and sex work” (Intimacy Professionals Association, 2023). This notion has swiftly become necessary for entertainment companies such as HBO and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Theatre. This dissertation aims to outline an Intimacy Coordinator’s responsibilities and capabilities, ensuring Actor safety whilst eradicating underlying misogyny, and investigate its existing establishment on stage- analysing a range of Film, Television and Theatre (1969-2020) to reflect the broad context in which the use of intimacy is embedded. First, a comparative analysis of sex scenes in mainstream media, used with and without an Intimacy Professional, reveals how the role can drive feminist Cinema. Next, differing experiences of performing nakedness and intimacy on stage and on-screen are discussed, analysing the use of clothing, cameras and audience participation in Richard Schechner’s Dionysus in 69 (1969), culminating in recognition of Theatre’s progression in staging intimacy. Finally, this discussion evaluates that regardless of the industry, the performance of intimacy and nakedness requires a trained and representational individual to on-see safe and artistic execution.
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