Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Whittaker
Hi Liz, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been doing theatre for 20 years, with occasional journeys into film and television. I’ve done almost everything that can be done on a production; I’ve been an actor, director, sound designer, choreographer, writer, set painter, and teacher.
In late 2019, I was introduced to the new field of intimacy direction and never looked back. Now, I have over 200 hours of training and recently completed a certification for Intimacy Direction in Live Performance with IDC (Intimacy Directors and Coordinators). I’ve worked on over 30 productions, 3 feature films, and 3 shorts.
I continue to act and direct and sound design and write, but now I’ve found an additional aspect of storytelling that I’m passionate about. I love telling intimate and vulnerable stories with respect, sensitivity, and collaboration.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are two main challenges in doing intimacy work.
One is the accessibility of training. The extra unemployment checks I received during spring and summer of 2020 allowed me to attend virtual workshops, and I had to crowdfund my certification program. Many professionals in the industry are working hard to make this training more widely available and more affordable, but it’s such a new field that there are only so many people qualified to train others.
The main challenge is just “getting into the room.” I think a lot of productions fear that I’m going to be the “touch police” or HR on steroids, that I’m going to stifle their creativity. Or that they just don’t need an intimacy professional. But I’m a fellow artist who’s there to collaborate. I’m there to help facilitate consent AND to heighten the storytelling. Intimate and vulnerable scenes are always better with a trained professional in the room.
In times when I’m getting a lot of rejection emails, or when a production hires me but doesn’t actually utilize my skill, it’s easy for me to get discouraged, or to doubt that what I’m doing brings value. BUT I KNOW IT DOES. I just have to be patient.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
(I answered some of these on previous questions, but I’ll share a little more here.)
As an intimacy director/coordinator, my job is to be a choreographer and advocate for the actors. I’m present for the filming and rehearsing of any scene that involves kissing, simulated sex acts, nudity, or other highly vulnerable moments (birth, assault, etc). Not only do I help figure out the logistics of the scene (the blocking and choreography), but I also make sure actors have whatever they need to do their best work. That includes everything from breath mints to breaks to a voice in the room so that everything is consensual.
I’m very proud of my level of training and expertise. My own practices have grown and shifted as I’ve learned more, and I’ve had the privilege of learning from some of the leading professionals in the industry. There are fewer than 100 people in the world who carry my specific certification, and I love that I get to keep learning from other professionals still.
I bring many of the same guiding principles from my intimacy work into my work as a director and actor. One of my core beliefs is that art should not come at the cost of personhood, and that’s true whether I’m directing a rock opera, acting in a grassroots production, on a film set for a romantic scene, or rehearsing a challenging non-consent scene for theatre.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is no risk taking and 10 is risking it all, I’d put myself at about a 6. If and when I take a risk, it’s usually after a lot of careful thought and planning.
But there are times when you’ve got to jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down. Sometimes the jumps are smaller (sending an email, applying for a certification program), so the risk is smaller.
And there are times when my attitude is “I have no idea how to do that, but I’ll give it a try!”
That’s what I said when I was asked to co-direct a rock opera with a cult following of 10+ years (Deep Love: A Ghostly Rock Opera). That’s what I said when I was asked to be the artistic director of a small, queer theatre company in Provo. I said it to myself when I decided to self-publish a romance novel, when I opened an Etsy shop of cross stitches, when I participated in my first poetry slam.
For me, it’s ALWAYS been worth it. Even when things don’t turn out the way I planned or hoped they would, there’s always a lesson to be learned. I don’t regret any of the times I’ve taken the leap. I’ve grown into a wiser, more experienced, and more capable person because of every time I’ve taken a risk.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.intimacywithliz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intimacywithliz/
