Alicia Rodis

Alicia Rodis is an American intimacy coordinator, director and actress.

Career

Rodis grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and acted in regional and classical theatre.^[1] Growing up, Alicia was often cast in more adult roles. At age 15 she had an on-stage kiss, and at age 18 faked an orgasm. She had mixed experiences of adult scenes, with some causing mental distress later.^[2]

She moved to New York City in 2008, and became involved with the New York Shakespeare Exchange, becoming the fight director for several productions, and directing a Shakespeare-themed pub crawl in the city.^[1] She also worked with the Yale School of Drama and the Juilliard School.^[3] She worked as intimacy coordinator on Season 2 of HBO's The Deuce and was the first such hire by a mainstream television network; demand for intimacy coordinators, who are tasked to ensure the well-being of actors performing in sex scenes or other intimate sequences, rose following the emergence of the Me Too movement in 2017.^[4][5][6] She was recommended for the role based on her reputation, and her help was described as "a successful, positive, experience".^[7]

Intimacy Directors International

Rodis is a founding member of Intimacy Directors International, an organization working towards developing standards of safety and performance for intimacy in film and on stage.^[6] Along with her co-founders, Tonia Sina and Siobhan Richardson, she has witnessed inappropriate behavior on set or mishandling during scenes involving close intimacy.^[2][8] Her role is to watch the scenes closely, making notes, and making sure actors are comfortable with the work required, and that nobody is physically or mentally harmed.^[9] Rodis has said that there is an increased demand for this type of work.^[10] In early 2020, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) published a policy mandating the inclusion of intimacy coordinators.^[6]

In 2018, the group performed an exhibition, #MeToo Shakespeare, explaining the importance of intimacy choreography.^[11]