Intimacy Professionals Raja Benz & Greg Geffrard, open a window to the role of intimacy directors, choreographers and educators on stage and screen. We discuss navigating the complexities of power dynamics, and their commitment to creating safe, empowering spaces where all voices are respected and where the stories of underrepresented communities are told with integrity and care on stage and screen.
Read more about Raja & Greg here.
Takeaways
- Intimacy professionals advocate for ethical representation in performance.
- Creating a consent-based environment is crucial for safety.
- Cultural competency is essential in intimacy work.
- The role of intimacy professionals is evolving in the industry.
- Comfort and discomfort are inherent in storytelling.
- Intimacy work requires understanding power dynamics.
- Education in intimacy practices is vital for future generations.
- Resistance to intimacy professionals often stems from misunderstanding their role.
- The intimacy field must address barriers to entry for diverse voices.
- Advocacy for vulnerable individuals in performance spaces is essential.
- Regional theaters are crucial for developing new works and voices.
- Casting in regional theater involves a different set of challenges compared to film and TV.
- The pandemic has significantly impacted the economics of regional theater.
- Advocating for representation in casting is an ongoing effort.
- Success in the arts is not a binary of pass or fail.
- Actors can thrive outside of major cities like New York and LA.
- Building relationships in the industry is key to long-term success.
- Personal values should align with professional goals in the arts.
- The journey of an actor requires persistence and adaptability.
- Community support is vital for artists to flourish.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Intimacy Professionals
02:36 - Understanding the Role of Intimacy Professionals
06:50 - Creating Safe Spaces in Performance
10:40 - Navigating Comfort and Discomfort in Storytelling
15:41 Cultural Competency in Intimacy Work
19:57 - The Intersection of Identity and Intimacy
26:33 - Progress and Challenges in the Field
32:42 - The Future of Intimacy Work
36:22 - Addressing Resistance and Legitimacy
40:34 - The Role of Power Dynamics
48:37 - Who Advocates for Intimacy Professionals?
54:21 - Conclusion and Future Directions
Connect with Raja on Instagram
Connect with Greg on Instagram
Check out The Den Theatre in Chicago on their website
Check out Actor’s Express Theatre in Atlanta on their website
Check out Nothing Without A Theatre in Chicago on their website
Connect with Caroline on Instagram
Connect with Grant on Instagram
Connect with In The Podlight on the Website
The Team:
Caroline Liem – Producer & Host
Grant Kretchick – Producer & Host
Cris Graves - Producer & Editor
David Margolin Lawson - Composer
Emily Yaneth Perez – Administration
In the Podlight is produced in collaboration with Pace University – Sands
- The thoughts, opinions, and views expressed by the guests, hosts, and producers of this podcasts do not necessarily reflect those of Pace University.
