The first, and only time, I experienced a stage kiss was in an acting class. It was awkward and I made it clear, “There would be no French kissing!” As I recall, in the final presentation, there wasn’t even a kiss.

Once I did a show with beautiful dialogue and a heartbreaking situation lent itself to an intimacy between the characters. Yet because of a brusque and insensitive director, I left the show. Traumatic.

As a high school theatre director, love scenes and stage kisses were carefully staged and worked on. We worked scene prior to the kiss extensively, often with no one present other than the stage manager. The students did not kiss (much to the dismay of some of the teens) until it was clear to me that a kiss was a natural response. In fact, the actors’ kiss was often a surprise to them; as I would say - “kiss” quietly while on stage with them.

The work and intimacy involved with actors creating a sexual encounter requires the sort of attention the director of the current Broadway production, FRANKIE AND JOHNNY AT THE CLAIRE DU LUNE has employed while directing Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon.

Take a moment to read this brilliant article in the New York Times: “How Audra McDonald and MIchael Shannon Got Intimate.”