Między kreacją a prywatnością – intymność w rozumieniu i doświadczeniu aktorów
Between creation and privacy – intimacy as understood and experienced by actors

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the issue of intimacy in the work of actors, situating it within both apsychological framework and the practice of stage performance. The point of departure isthe ongoing transformation of Polish theatre, including the growing awareness of the needto protect actors’ boundaries and the emergence of the role of the intimacy coordinator. Theaim of the study was to explore how actors define and experience intimacy, as well as thesignificance it holds in their private and professional lives. The study employed a qualitativeresearch design based on partially structured interviews. The analysis was grounded in aphenomenological–hermeneutic approach, which made it possible to capture individual waysof making sense of experiences of intimacy. The theoretical section discusses selectedconceptualizations of intimacy, including intimacy as a developmental trait of the individual,as a relational characteristic, and as an intimate interaction, relating these perspectives tothe specific nature of the acting profession. The findings indicate that scenic and privateforms of intimacy remain in a tense relationship. Central issues include bodily, emotional,and relational boundaries, as well as strategies for their protection, such as rituals of“stepping out of character” and the conscious separation of professional work from privatelife. Relationships with scene partners, audience responses, and the impact of performingintimate scenes on off-stage romantic relationships play a significant role in the experienceof intimacy. The article highlights the importance of communication, trust, and ethicalstandards of practice, while also pointing to the need for further research.

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