Presented by Alexis Black

 

As part of our Theater Workshop Summit, sponsored by Arts Now, join Alexis for this engaging and practical 90-minute workshop which introduces community theatre artists to the essential principles of staged intimacy. This session offers a supportive environment to explore how we tell stories that involve physical closeness—safely, respectfully, and effectively.

Participants will be introduced to key vocabulary and industry-standard protocols used in staged intimacy work today.  We will discuss some protocols Intimacy Directors employ in pre-production. We will unpack the foundations of consent-based practices, including how to navigate communication around moments of touch.  Attendees will also learn how to conduct a boundary check and explore tools used to advocate for themselves and their collaborators.

The workshop will conclude with an open Q&A, offering space for curiosity, reflection, and real-world application. Please note-- While no touch is required, and anyone may remain an observer, there will be an exercise presented where participants may engage in a simple connection (such as a handshake) as an opportunity for practical application.

Saturday, June 20 at the Hudson Players
4-5:30pm
 
  
Information on the Presenter:
 
Alexis is an Intimacy Director, Fight Director, Director and Movement Specialist based in the Midwest region. She is an enthusiastic advocate for consent work, equity and safety in the rehearsal hall, classroom and performance. A fight, movement and intimacy director, she travels nationwide and abroad, choreographing regionally, in New York City, Europe and Asia. She is a certified teacher in the Michael Chekhov Physical Acting technique and a level one Margolis Method instructor, with additional movement expertise in viewpoints, mask work and contact improvisation.

Her intimacy direction and consent work has most recently been featured at Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and Hope Repertory Theatre. Her fight direction and movement consultation has been featured at such venues as the Denver Center of the Performing Arts, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Virginia Repertory Theatre, and she assisted on fight choreography for Broadway shows Fool for Love (2015) and Macbeth (2022).

Alexis holds an MFA in Movement Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is proud to be implementing consent and safety protocols for stage management, faculty and performers at Michigan State University, where she is an Assistant Professor of Movement, Acting and Stage Combat. She is an instructor of Level one and Level two certification courses and “Stage Managing Intimacy” with IDC. She is a member with the Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC), the Association of Theatre Movement Educators (ATME) and Actors Equity Association (AEA).