Nudity on Stage: Frontal Facts

The emotional safety of buff performers depends on being in a respectful, consensual setting that requires predetermined and ongoing consent.

Plays and musicals featuring nudity

In some stage works, such as the 1967 musical Hair, nudity is written as an integral part of the script. In other cases, a director may make a creative choice to use nudity in a production of a play that clearly does not require it. For example, Benedict Andrews added a nude scene to his 2017 London production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which starred Sienna Miller and Jack O'Connell. Several plays and musicals that either include nudity in their scripts or have productions that feature nudity include:

"Blue Room" (David Hare)

"Confederates" (Dominique Morisseau)

"Daddy" (Jeremy O'Harris)

"Equus" (Peter Shaffer)

"The Full Monty" (Terrence McNally and music by David Yazbeck)

"The Graduate" (Terry Johnson)

"Hair" (Jerome Ragni and James Rado)

Judas Kiss (David Hare)

"Killer Joe" (Tracey Letts)

"Linda Vista" (Tracey Letts)

"M. Butterfly (David Henry Hwang)

"Metamorphoses" (Mary Zimmerman)

"Naked boys sing!" (Robert Schrock)

"ABOUT! Calcutta!" (various authors)

"Reefer Madness" (Kevin Murphy)

"Stop Kiss" (Diana Son)

"Take Me Out" (Richard Greenberg)

The Vagina Monologues (Eva Ensler)

"Wit" (Margaret Edson)

Nudity as a form of self-expression has long been part of the performing arts; Theatrical performances without clothes have their roots in ancient Greece. Despite some U.S. government attempts to censor nudity in the media, notably the Comstock Act of 1873 and the Communications Decency Act of 1996, artistic freedom has largely extended to protect theatrical nudity.

Primary regulations are aimed at protecting subjects. These include informed consent during auditions, rehearsals and live performances, as well as rules governing the use of nudity in promotional materials and recordings.

Nudity should never be requested in auditions.

Actors must provide written consent for any nude scenes.

Nudity cannot be captured on camera.

Spectators are not allowed backstage if any actor is naked.

Industry regulations, the rise in the use of intimacy coordinators, and the ban on audience recording devices are helping many actors feel safe performing without protective clothing. However, others may find that the risk outweighs the reward. For performers who consider a nude performance to be overly nude, viable alternatives include:

Modesty Clothing: These accessories provide a little coverage to mimic nudity. Some options include:

drawstring pouches

Shield pouches

Strapless thong

Side thong

Strapless Briefs

Nipple pads

Bras with a sticker

Strapless bras

Bandeau bras

Strapless hems

Ribbon

barriers

Nude bodysuit with full coverage: “I agree that nudity should not be excluded from any scenario, neither from the past, nor from the present, nor from the future. But the way we portray nudity can certainly change,” Ehrhardt wrote. "The bodysuits are perfectly fine and will have the same effect as nudity."

Props and lighting: The strategic use of these tools can prevent viewers from seeing and possibly recording the intimate parts of the performers.

Ultimately, for actors to be able to give their all while performing naked, they need to feel secure and secure enough to expose it all.