03/04/2026
Meet Sara E. Widzer, our Intimacy Director for FELLOW TRAVELERS.
“Working on Fellow Travelers with our two Hawks and Tims has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career — and finding a life at the intersection of social justice and theatre/opera is a dream come true.
Staging intimacy for Fellow Travelers required deep trust, rigor, and joy. My process begins with conversation - defining boundaries, building a shared language, and establishing consent as the foundation for every physical choice. Intimacy, like fight direction or dance, is never left to chance; it is structured so that vulnerability can be inhabited safely and truthfully.
Because this story traces q***r love under the shadow of the Lavender Scare, our work demanded both historical research and embodied nuance - understanding coded behavior, shifting power dynamics, first desire, secrecy, and what it means to be seen in a world that insists you remain hidden. Each pair of men brought different instincts and physical vocabularies, and together we built choreography that honored authentic gay male intimacy without stereotype, while maintaining storytelling clarity across casts.
And we laughed - a lot. The more intense the subject matter, the more essential it is to keep the room light, grounded, and human. That balance creates safety, and often results in the sexiest, most truthful storytelling.
In a moment when history feels as though it is repeating itself, telling this story now is not simply artistic — it is urgent!!”
***rstories
