Reviews 1 — Alina Quarin

Intimacy director Alina Quarin coaches McBeath and Wandzura through a sensitively choreographed sex scene making this production ‘16+’ entertainment.

REVIEW by Jo Ledingham for Network

Amazing working with her for professionalism and attitude

Maja Giannoccaro (she/her), 1st AD - The Thing Inside Her

Alina was a terrific collaborator. Helpful, knowledgeable and kind. She helped craft delicate moments of intimacy and was delight to have in the room!

Moya O’Connell, Director - An Ideal Husband

Alina is attentive, intuitive, collaborative and focused on the team feeling safe and comfortable. I’m grateful to have worked with her and to have had her as an advocate in our production.

Dan Tait-Brown, Performer - Home Deliveries

Communicating as a director to Alina, our intimacy coordinator, felt so easy and stress free. I was able to explain what was needed in the scene while making sure the actor was still comfortable all throughout.

Stacy Albrecht (She/her), Director - Home Zone

Alina was a fantastic Intimacy professional. She approached things in a very fun and lighthearted way as to not make any feel uncomfortable, and if anyone was uncomfortable she created many safe spaces and opportunities to step out.

Ryver (He/Him), Performer - Pippin

Alina made me feel safe, important, and heard. I felt like I could voice any boundaries I felt needed to be re-established and most of all I felt comfortable enough to reach my full potential as a performer because I had someone advocating for me.

Abby Hoffman (she/her), Performer - Just Friends

Alina did amazing job on my film. She made all my actors feel so safe. She was very helpful in guiding me through the process as a first time director shooting intimate scenes. She has so much knowledge and is an amazing collaborator. I could not have done such a challenging film without her.

Anonymous, Director

Alina is a master at creating a safe, positive, and collaborative room. She prioritizes thorough discussion, which allows everyone to be on the same page before jumping into intimacy work. Alina’s calming presence is a joy to work alongside, and lends itself well to the wonderful work she does.

Alice Battista (she/her), Performer - Be More Chill

Alina Was Absolutely Awesome to work with! She was equal parts Educational and collaborative and not only made me and my scene partner comfortable but also helped us convey our characters emotions much better in the show! I would recommend her to anyone looking for an intimacy coordinator.

Thane Buckingham (He/him), Performer -Making A Killing

I have observed Alina as an intimacy director and found her to be incredibly thoughtful and considerate as she does that work. I relied on her skills and expertise when directing a show last season and was very grateful to have her keen eye as part of my creative team when bringing a moment of intimacy to the stage.

Kaitlin Williams, Director - A Case For The Existence Of God

I attended a theatre intimacy workshop facilitated by Alina. I found her/them to be incredibly knowledgeable and appreciated her/their presenting both familiar & new information in a dynamic way. My approach to intimacy has always been to enquire about others' safety and their consent - I hadn't ever considered my own.

Martha (she/her), Performer & Intimacy Captain - Pippin

As an emerging performer, Alina made me feel exceptionally comfortable and heard in the intimacy rehearsals - which is a space I haven't always felt safe in. Her intimacy workshop was both detailed and efficient, and she made sure to check in with the cast often throughout the entire rehearsal process. Couldn't have asked for a better experience!

Jessica Kelly, Performer - Heathers The Musical

Working with someone as concise and professional as Alina was truly amazing. Intimacy scenes can be especially awkward but Alina ensured I felt comfortable throughout the entire experience while also making the scene appear grounded. I look forward to working with Alina again on future projects!!

Shina (she/her), Performer - Home Zone

Alina was the intimacy captain on a show that I recently produced (‘Home Deliveries’). She played a crucial role in maintaining a respectful working environment for the cast where the actors felt safe and supported. I was most impressed by Alina’s professional and dedicated approach. I will certainly be using her services again and am happy to recommend her to other producers.

Linda Begg, Producer - Home Deliveries and Network

Alina brings such care and compassion when working with actors. The energy and intentions she put in place gave me the ability to freely advocate for myself, and she fostered a safe space for myself and my scene partner to establish boundaries. Her passion for the storytelling and desire to be authentic whilst keeping open lines of communication throughout the process is unmatched.

Anonymous, Performer

Alina, made it very clear to everyone involved with the project what her roles were and weren’t. She left no questions unanswered and left clear guidance for everyone’s best safety and comfortability measures! I loved her ownership of her role and dedication to making sure everyone felt their needs were valued! Thank you Alina for being a safe space and reaching each and every person working on the project!

Zakiah Dumansky, Performer - Heathers The Musical

Alina was incredible to work with! She provided me the proper tools and the lexicon to translate what the scene required from my actors/actresses while granting them the creative space and freedom to achieve and explore the emotional dimensions what the script required in a prepared, safe and controlled environment. Because of her advice and presence, I was able to achieve the best performance possible and I can't recommend her enough.

Colton Ferber (He/Him/His), Director - Astral

Intimacy can be daunting, professionals like Alina make it work with comfort and ease. I worked with Alina on the play A Nice Indian Boy where we had a few scenes with intimacy. She was so considerate, warm and easy to work with. She bridged the gap between the director and the actors/us while handling those scenes. After working with her I feel a little more confident about working on intimate scenes, it was a great learning experience. Thanks so much Alina!

Siddarth Sharma (He/his), Performer - A Nice Indian Boy

Alina's compassion and confidence in her practice really helped my scene partner and me develop comfort and security with one another. She left a lot of space for us to lead the discussion about boundaries, and at every point, we were offered the option to adapt and improve our work. Intimate scenes are often hard to navigate and depend on many external factors; Alina addressed this in our first session, and from there, we could take the sessions at our own pace.

Tirion Jones (she/her), Performer - Little Women The Musical

I did an intimacy workshop with Alina for a musical production I was in, and the whole experience was lovely! We spoke about safety, consent (all the different forms of consent and the importance of them all) and communication. We did a few exercises where she gave us tools to use when we find ourselves in situations when we need that we need to remove ourselves, showed us how to connect with our bodies and find personal control and always opened up the floor to ask questions and voice concerns!

Elizabeth Maller (She/Her/Hers), Performer - Pippin

Alina was enormously helpful in making our rehearsal space feel comfortable for intimacy, and as a stage manager, I found it really useful to learn some tools and approaches to help actors with intimacy blocking and feel safe and empowered at all times to voice their thoughts and concerns. Alina covered the subject with complete professionalism while making sure it was fun and engaging for everyone in the rehearsal room. I would be thrilled to work with her as intimacy director on any of my future shows!

Dek Green, Stage Manager - Miracle on 34th Street, Sinners and Pippin

Working with Alina was the first proper experience I had with an Intimacy Coordinator on a full production and I could not have been more impressed by her approach. While being an extremely kind, welcoming, and professional colleague, Alina also brought a wealth of knowledge that made our cast and creative team always feel safe and taken care of when intimate moments arose. I would highly recommend bringing Alina onto projects of all kinds and look forward to my next chance to work with her.

Julia Kelleway (they/she), Choreographer - Heathers The Musical and The Mad Ones, Performer - Pippin

I've worked with Alina a few times now, and it's always been in incredibly positive experience. The care that they put in their work is very evident in the way that everyone they work with leaves the experience feeling heard, safe, and confident in what's expected of them in the scene. In the most recent project we worked on, after Alina's initial meeting with my director and lead actor, all I heard was positive comments about the clarity provided in the scene and confidence in the plan put in place for the shoot day. 10/10 WILL work with Alina again!

Juliana dM (she/they), Performer -Hurricane Diane’, Producer - Home Zone

I worked with Alina on the Metro Theatre production of Sinners as our Intimacy Coordinator. I found her to be professional, supportive and easy to work with. Her calm nature made my costar and I feel relaxed and comfortable and I always felt that our safety and well being was being prioritized about everything else. Her willingness to listen and go the extra mile to support us and our project was what made her stand out as an excellent member of our team. I would highly recommend Alina's services for any other future production that requires the services of an Intimacy Professional.

Josh Zumstein (He/Him), Performer - Sinners

This was my first time working with an intimacy director and honestly Alina was perfect. Her slow and methodical approach to the work made everything feel very safe and controlled. She was precise and highly knowledgable in her work without making me feel stupid. She gave myself and my scene partner the tools we needed to tell the intimate moments of the story in a healthy way. I really liked how she wanted us to establish a secret handshake check in/ check out with our partner. I also liked the intimacy number scale of 1-10, just so that every moment was very clear and no partner was doing something that the other wasn't ready for.

Stephen Thakkar, Performer - Grease

I had never worked with an intimacy coordinator prior to Alina, and while I was happy that there would be an intimacy coordinator on the project, I didn't know what to expect. At our first rehearsal I was immediately put at ease by her knowledge of techniques to make the rehearsal process easier for me. Alina was patient and kind, and she gave me every opportunity to speak up about what I was comfortable with in a rehearsal or performance setting. I felt Alina was a great advocate for me and she gave me the tools to set limits on my boundaries for every rehearsal. I hope I get the chance to work with Alina again in the future!

Paul Wiebe (he/him), Performer & Producer - Miracle on 34th Street

Alina was the first intimacy coordinator I worked with, and her approach was thoughtful and story-driven. She helped me think deeply about why each intimacy scene was necessary, making sure it served the narrative rather than just being a stunt. She emphasized real-world consent, reminding us that it can always be taken back, and guided us with breathing exercises that helped us feel grounded and at ease with our partners. She paid close attention to what we were comfortable with and adjusted things as we went, always keeping the environment safe and supportive. Working with Alina made the process feel meaningful, and I came away learning a lot that stayed with me both on set and off.

Liam Atticus Wong, Performer -CITYSONG

Alina is just a delight! Her warm and compassionate attitude made it easy to collaborate to bring the best result possible to the stage. She smoothly facilitated intimacy fittings and rehearsals, marrying the director and designer's visions with the actor's boundaries and preferences. I always felt like we were in good hands and enjoyed chatting with her as much as I enjoyed the process of working with her. It was incredibly reassuring to know that everyone had a point of contact and potential mediator if any issues arose. With Alina it seemed like we were always ahead of the curve, she anticipated a number of situations and communicated multiple solutions before we even needed them.

Jordan Chambers (he/it/xe), Costume Designer - Heathers The Musical, Hurricane Diane and The Mad Ones

My experience with Alina was nothing short of wonderful. Our project was not straightforward from an intimacy point of view to say the least, but Alina made it feel seamless. She navigated the chaos of an indie set with the ease and professionalism of a high budget shoot. The whole time, making myself and the entire cast and crew feel cared for, safe to explore our story and free to be creative. Alina is all about the details, and is thinking of what your actors might need long before they need it. A lot of people worry that intimacy coordinators will be invasive or overstep, but Alina has the perfect touch, stepping in when needed with assertiveness and kindness. I highly, highly recommend working with her and I hope I do again!

Jacki Gunn, Director & Performer - The Thing Inside Her

Alina worked with us as the intimacy coordinator for Shaw’s ‘Arms and the Man’. She worked with almost the entire cast on physical intimacy, and created a framework for everyone to do the work with ease and safety. Alina creates an open, inclusive, positive, and safe environment for everyone from actors to stage management. In addition, I especially valued Alina’s collaboration with us on defining the language of specific kinds of intimacy within the show - through a positive and inclusive lens. I found Alina to be a valuable, sensitive, and encouraging collaborator, with insights that helped shape our show and added a layer of intelligence to our storytelling that went way beyond the title of ‘intimacy coordinator’. Would work with Alina again in a heartbeat.

Lauren Taylor (she/her), Director - Arms and the Man

Working with Alina has been an incredible experience. She creates a rehearsal environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and supported, which allows artists to do their best work and fully focus on the storytelling. As a young director and choreographer, I've been incredibly impressed by her professionalism, communication, attention to consent, and her ability to navigate sensitive material with care and confidence. She makes collaboration feel easy and approachable, and always ensures that every performer’s boundaries and comfort levels are respected throughout the process. Beyond her expertise, Alina is genuinely kind and so wonderful to work with. She brings so much positivity and trust into the rehearsal room, and any production would be lucky to have her as part of their team.

Simone Nathalia (she/her), Director - Be More Chill

As our Intimacy Coordinator for "Network", Alina created a space where collaboration felt effortless. Rather than arriving with a predetermined plan, she listened carefully to our thoughts, concerns, and ideas. Her collaborative approach made the choreography feel authentic, purposeful, and comfortable for everyone involved. Alina has a warm, grounding presence, and a way of putting performers at ease while navigating scenes that could otherwise feel vulnerable or intimidating. The intimacy in our production was unlike anything I'd seen on stage before, and Alina brought creative ideas that served both the storytelling and the emotional truth of the characters, while always prioritizing safety and consent. Beyond the rehearsal room, Alina made herself available throughout the production. She was always willing to answer questions or revisit moments if needed. I would wholeheartedly recommend Alina as an Intimacy Coordinator who combines professionalism, creativity, and genuine care for the people she works with.

Alison Wandzura (she/her), Performer - Network

Alina is now the first call I make anytime I step onto a project. Working as a choreographer, we are consistently handling scenes that contain sensitive subject matter, physical contact, various forms of intimacy, and the mental and physical safety of large amounts of cast, as well as crew. While the prominence of having Intimacy Professionals on-set continues to become a standard of our industry, the continued collaboration between our departments is truly important for the success of films, television, and beyond. Having someone like Alina, who steps onto each and every project with such love, care, and passion for what she does, makes for a consistently seamless and memorable experience. Alina is a presence that is felt throughout set at all times. From taking the time to meet and understand the specific needs of her cast & crew, to consistently checking in and working to ensure an environment of safety and respect, her work has become a valuable asset to every production lucky enough to have her. We are lucky to have her as a part of the Canadian film community, and you will be lucky to have her as a part of your next project.

Christian Lagasse (he/him), Choreographer - Passiflora and Just Friends

Having hired Alina to perform the duties of Intimacy Coordinator on the music video Just Friends by Christina Kennedy. Throughout pre production and Production Alina was pivotal in ensuring that our performers and crew were all supported and felt heard in any concern they had. As the Producer and performer I reached out to a variety of sources and all of my trusted sources recommended Alina first. If not for that but her professionalism and support to every person on our project was profound. Just Friends by Christina Kennedy had a large theme of sexuality as the prime focus is finding truth in hookup culture. From Alina’s first interactions with the cast, she ensured them a positive and supportive environment; building a connection with them to create an open dialogue for any and all on the day requests. Alina excelled with our entire crew and ensured that during shooting everyone was on the same page. Alina expertly determined a request from the director and artist to have things such as gentle and passionate kissing. Ensuring everyone was comfortable and had the required time and conversations to feel prepared and respected in what was being asked and performed. Alina not only brings professionalism, she brings a positivity and heart felt outlook to all those around her. She is a vital part of any team or client to find and achieve success within their goals and journey.

Chris Stuewe, Producer & Performer - Just Friends