While audiences cheer for Broadway’s biggest names this Tony season, something quieter is shaping the stage—work that doesn’t seek applause, but transforms it. Intimacy Direction has become a structural force on Broadway, building scenes from consent, care, and collaboration.
At CINTIMA, we train Intimacy Coordinators specifically for film and television. But we know the craft doesn’t stop at the camera. Many of our colleagues work across mediums, navigating the distinct rhythms, power dynamics, and rehearsal cultures of both stage and screen. And this year’s Broadway season is proof of just how essential that work is.
These are the intimacy professionals: the directors, choreographers, and cultural consultants who sculpt every onstage kiss, every vulnerable glance, and every body-to-body moment with care.
Their work is not decorative. It is structural. And in 2025, it’s clear: Intimacy Direction isn’t a trend - it’s a standard.
What Is Intimacy Direction on Stage?
Intimacy Directors (IDs) for theatre and Intimacy Coordinators (ICs) for film are trained professionals who ensure that scenes involving physical or emotional closeness are crafted with enthusiastic consent, clear choreography, and trauma-informed protocols.
They don’t just choreograph intimacy—they facilitate safety, open communication, and storytelling grounded in truth. Their presence on set or in rehearsal can mean the difference between discomfort and confidence, between risk and resilience.
Meet the ICs Behind This Year’s Tony-Nominated Shows
Ann C. James
John Proctor is the Villain, Gypsy, Smash, Sunset Blvd., Eureka Day, Maybe Happy Ending, A Wonderful World
Ann C. James is a trailblazer in the field, Broadway’s first Black Intimacy Director and the founder of Intimacy Coordinators of Color. Her work spans genres and generations, from the delicate teen dynamics of John Proctor is the Villain to the charged burlesque of Gypsy and the vintage glamour of Sunset Boulevard. With a background in cultural sensitivity and trauma-informed care, she’s one of the field’s most respected voices. You may have already seen her work on screen in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.
Claire Warden
Romeo + Juliet
Claire Warden was Broadway’s first credited Intimacy Director, and she’s since become one of the most influential voices in the field. Her background spans fight choreography, classical theatre, and contemporary screen intimacy, making her one of the few artists who fluidly translates consent-forward practices between mediums.
In this season’s Romeo + Juliet, Claire helped shape one of the most iconic—and frequently misinterpreted- love stories with a fresh lens. Instead of leaning on tropes, she worked with the cast and creative team to choreograph intimacy that was grounded, honest, and rooted in adolescent vulnerability. She makes old stories new again, not by changing the plot, but by changing how we care for the people telling it.
Crista Marie Jackson
Buena Vista Social Club
Crista Marie Jackson brings kinetic intelligence to every production she joins. As an Intimacy Director with a background in circus arts and stunt performance, she’s particularly skilled at choreographing intimacy that lives in the body; fluid, rhythmic, and physically expressive.
In Buena Vista Social Club, she helped shape moments of tenderness and sensuality that honored the show’s Cuban musical roots and cultural legacy. Her screen work includes Dumb Money, FBI: Most Wanted, and The Greatest Showman, projects where movement, emotion, and safety intersect. Whether spinning through a silk rig or standing on a Broadway stage, Crista knows how to hold space for complexity and care.
Cristina “Cha” Ramos
Death Becomes Her
Cristina “Cha” Ramos merges technical precision with creative boldness. As both a Fight Director and Intimacy Director, they are adept at crafting moments where physical danger and emotional vulnerability overlap.
In Death Becomes Her, Cha staged intimacy with equal parts humor and edge, helping navigate a campy, supernatural world with grounded consent practices. Their award-winning work on shows like & Juliet and Jagged Little Pill has cemented them as a trusted leader in emotionally high-stakes productions. With a strong foundation in stagecraft, Cha proves that intimacy direction isn’t just about protection, it’s about unlocking performance.
Lauren Kiele DeLeon
Real Women Have Curves
Lauren Kiele DeLeon brings a care-centered, culturally attuned lens to her work as an Intimacy Coordinator. Her bilingual and bicultural background allows her to support storytelling with authenticity, especially when working with Latinx narratives.
In Real Women Have Curves, she crafted romantic and physical moments that honored the emotional richness of the story without leaning on cliché. Her process centers collaboration and respect. Ensuring that every scene reflects not just character intention, but performer boundaries. Lauren’s upcoming screen project Bunnylovr continues her practice of infusing consent into every layer of production.
Rick & Christian Sordelet
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Pirates!
Rick and Christian Sordelet are known across Broadway for their legendary fight direction—but their work as Intimacy Coordinators is just as impactful. With over 80 broadway productions between them, they bring a cinematic approach to stagecraft that prioritizes actor safety without sacrificing spectacle.
In Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Pirates!, they helped shape moments of teen romance and high-stakes tension with consent at the core. Their approach is especially attuned to productions involving young performers, fantasy elements, or fast-paced physicality. You may have seen their influence in films like Respect or The Game Plan, where their choreography helped carry both the emotion and the impact of the story.
Why This Work Matters
It’s easy to be swept up by the spectacle of Broadway. But the real revolution is happening in the rehearsal room—in whispered check-ins, in slow choreography, in moments of silence where performers feel seen.
This year’s Intimacy Directors didn’t just make scenes sexier or more “real.” They made them safer, smarter, and more human.
Because intimacy isn’t a bonus, it’s everywhere; it’s part of the blueprint.
Because consent isn’t a limitation, it’s the foundation of great storytelling.