Just a few years ago, intimacy direction was such a new practice in the theater that hiring someone to choreograph sex scenes was almost unheard of. Then along came #MeToo, and awareness rapidly began to shift. By last summer, intimacy direction was on Broadway.

Now Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the nation’s leading regional theaters, has upped the ante, hiring a resident intimacy director, Sarah Lozoff, for all 11 productions in its 2020 season.

In a field that so far has relied largely on show-by-show contracts for intimacy directors, a salaried position with benefits is a significant step.

“It’s huge,” said Tonia Sina of the organization Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, which certifies intimacy directors for stage and screen work.