PEOPLE: Working with nudity

[JenniferEver]

The times I've worked with nudity or near nudity I was directing, not SMing, but a few things that became very important are, PLEASE make sure that the actors' underclothes do not get lost. Make someone totally responsible, whether it's a dresser, a prop person, yourself, for knowing where the clothes end up and getting them back to the actor when s/he needs them, whether it's at intermission, after the show, as soon as they get offstage, etc. I had a few instances where I went backstage at intermission to have actors calling me, I peek my head in the dressing room and someone can't find his boxers. It's an embarassing and uncomfortable situation for the actors, and everyone involved. Also, if the actors does strip onstage, or on the stage area as opposed to in a dressing room, I'd suggest that they bring in extra pairs of socks, underwear, etc, just in case something does go missing.

[loebtmc]

I had an interesting job once, for one of those naked-boy plays; they had the actors disrobe for the c/b. The director told me he was required to have an AEA SM present for any situation involving actors disrobing (I guess it's like the nurse who stays in the room w the male doctor/female patient routine). And he wanted cross gender just to make sure they weren't nervous undressing in front of women. So I spent the day watching men read and disrobe. Suffice it to say, it was somewhat surreal...

[Ellen B.]

My experience working with nudity was in a very intimate (50-seat) theatre.  It was a 15 minute play (in combination with 9 other short plays) that called for two actors- one male and one female- to be naked the entire time.  They entered in their robes in dim light and disrobed in a blackout.  They remained seated in chairs during the entire show. Because they were so close to the audience, the director made the choice that each actor would hold a medium-sized potted plant on their laps.  The bows were done in their robes.  We took a long blackout to allow them to put the robes back on.

We held one closed rehearsal with actual nudity before we got onstage, then didn't go with full nudity until tech.

[Froggy]

One important thing. With male nudity it is important to make sure that the auditorium/rehearsal room is reasonably warm. I have worked with a number of actors who are very anxious about their appearance and air con does nothing to improve this situation.