Shifting the Structure? The Emergence of Intimacy Directors in Professional Canadian Theatre

The inclusion of intimacy directors onto creative teams of professional Canadian theatre productions has become commonplace. The introduction of this new member of the artistic leadership team marks a substantial shift in the way that Canadian plays are being prepared, rehearsed, and staged. This article examines the emerging discourse surrounding the field of intimacy direction as a means of exposing how the new position of intimacy director, which has been consistently framed as a tool for increased equity within the field by practitioners and popular media, holds the potential to aid in the dismantling of the inherent hierarchical, colonial, and White supremacist structure of Canadian theatre leadership (primarily the role of the director) while simultaneously having the potential to uphold the same systems it is designed to dismantle. Positioning the argument within the framework of Canadian theatre history as well as the author’s experience as a director and recently qualified intimacy director, the article presents a variety of professional sources contextualizing the role. It examines definitions of intimacy and intimacy direction, investigating the need for and qualifications of an intimacy director while gesturing toward a discussion surrounding certification and gatekeeping within the profession.