An “intimacy director” has been employed by Barcelona’s opera house

An “intimacy director” has been employed by Barcelona’s opera house to make sure that actors feel at ease during emotional scenes—a first for Spain and a rare occurrence for continental Europe.

The #MeToo movement sparked allegations of sexual harassment in the opera and film industries, which prompted the creation of the role. William Shakespeare’s adaptation of “Antony and Cleopatra,” directed by intimacy director Ita O’Brien, will make its stage debut on October 28 at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house. Operas have always been about dramatic stories, according to O’Brien, who has counselled HBO and Netflix productions on intimate scenes. Performers would arrive just a few days before an opening and were not expected to discuss intimate scenes. She encourages actors to “connect with a hug” and talk about their boundaries during rehearsals, which is a change in the business.

Intimacy directors have previously been employed in the US and UK to produce operas and television series. An uninvited kiss on a female player’s lips by former Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales in August prompted a national conversation about sexism and the “Se Acabo” (It is Over) movement. Three years after such accusations forced him to issue an apology and cut short his career, opera star Placido Domingo was the target of fresh allegations of sexual harassment in January from another Spanish singer during a television programme.