Press
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors
“Strong physical comedy was achieved through the directorial harmony between Martin and fight and intimacy director, Sierra Young.”
-MD Theater Guide
Dodi & Diana
“they enact some of the most extensive and artfully hot intimacy coordination likely to be seen on a DC stage (shoutout to intimacy director Sierra Young)”
-DC Theater Arts
Strangers with Benefits
“Daring, intimate, and unflinching— tackling heavy topics with real emotional depth and sex scenes that feel authentic, not like television’s glossy fakery.”
-Edinburgh Fringe Review
by Hamza Jahanzeb
Frankenstein
“Sierra Young’s intimacy work also was a standout on the production side— Elizabeth and Victor’s interactions were particularly fun to watch, and the energy between the two through their relationship’s high and low moments was captivating.”
-BroadwayWorld
Porgy & Bess
“Sierra Young’s fight choreography, in her WNO debut, made the stage combat much more believable than in the 2005 production.”
-Washington Classical Review
Paradise Blue
“Direction by Raymond O. Caldwell orchestrated an enthrallingly frenetic current of energy, emotion, words, and action, electrically complemented by Intimacy Coordinator Sierra Young and Fight Choreographer Robb Hunter.”
-DC Theater Arts
John Wilkes Booth: One Night Only
“I also enjoyed the sword fight scene between the Booth brothers choreographed by Sierra Young”
-MD Theater Guide
The Scenarios
“Kudos to Fight Coordinator Sierra Young for showcasing movement that incorporated scrambling and crawling on the floor, leaping, hyperventilating, and more — all of it bringing vividness and richness to Angie’s characterization.”
-DC Theater Arts
Hand To God
“Theatrical skits such as the “Who’s on First” classic sketch, frenetic physical fights, and lust-driven passions (bravos to fight and intimacy director Sierra Young) are hilariously evoked and there is another layer in the play----a display of many theatrical entertainment styles.”
-BroadwayWorld
Intimate Apparel
“Sierra Young’s direction allows the action to proceed at a measured pace, never hurried or lagging. She maintains a well-modulated emotional tone throughout. In the first act, emotions — even strong ones — are expressed in a restrained, understated way. In the second act, when the characters’ feelings are at their rawest, their power has been well earned.”
-DC Theater Arts
“Skillfully directed by Sierra Young, Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) puts up an outstanding production that reflects every ounce of the sense of loss and hope Nottage puts into this script.”
-TheaterBloom
Spring Awakening
“The buildup and true-to-heart desperation of the Wendla and Melchior beating scene, and everything that “I Believe” throws at Wendla and Melchior, communicated with clarity (with the help of Sierra Young, fight and intimacy director).”
-DC Theater Arts
One In Two
“I should stop and point out the exceptional work of Sierra Young, the show’s fight and intimacy director.
Darnall, Swain, and Weaks are visibly aware of the space they take up and unabashedly use their bodies to tell their stories. A sex scene is at once believably intimate and then immediately cold. The hand-holding, kisses, fist bumps, and a moment when “Trade” blows smoke from his blunt into Dante’s mouth convey the respect and dignity that Black male bodies on stage are so often deprived of.”
-DC Theater Arts
“Sierra Young’s direction on the fight scene creates a swift, and surprising ambush, and the intimate scenes are spicy.”
-BroadwayWorld
When action occurs it is swift and clean, courtesy of fight choreographer Sierra Young. A moment of violence is jarring and happens so fast, it is impossible to tell how one of the actors ends up with so much stage blood on his shirt. All fight choreography throughout the show possesses the same sense of urgency, albeit with clear acting boundaries. We are never afraid the actors are going to hurt themselves and this allows the audience to be completely present.
-MD Theater Guide
King Lear
“ …intimacy consultant Sierra Young gets just the right tone in the mutual seductions of Edmund with Goneril and Regan.
-DC Metro Theater Arts
Playboy of the Western World
“the whole cast is stellar, eliciting laughs while taking the piss out of each other and bringing discomfort as they turn to beating the piss out of each other.”
“…fight director Sierra Young helped to stage difficult scenes of cultural conflict, microaggressions, and violence.
— DC Metro Theater Arts
“[The] kinetic fight scenes have the audience's heads moving side to side like a Wimbledon tennis match.”
—BroadwayWorld
Stop Kiss
“The actors’ chemistry was beautiful, and left me feeling the warmth that Son imbued in her script. The work of intimacy director Sierra Young was evident here, as the couple navigated their feelings for one another, ultimately leading to a thoughtful and safe on-stage kiss.”
-MD Theater Guide
Mary’s Seacole
“…the rehearsal room was a collaborative space where they could be vulnerable in front of each other.”
“Intimacy & Fight consultant Sierra Young was given specific days to focus on intimacy coordination, assigning different colors to different parts of each actor’s body to indicate comfort or discomfort. The result, Kim Bey said, was a production in which she felt safe.”
-Theaterly
She Kills Monsters
“Fight and Intimacy Director Sierra Young gives the battles a stylized feel while remaining exciting and uncertain, with one battle even done in slow motion. The love scenes are handled well, short but meaningful.”
-DC Metro Theatre Arts
Man of God
“Fight/Intimacy Choreographer, Sierra Young, created imaginative and compelling battle sequences for most of them, though the peak of violence in the play may very well occur in a long, wordless sequence in which not a single punch is thrown.”
-MD Theatre Guide
Sweat
“Tracey and Jason soon add a racial dimension to their anger at Cynthia and Oscar, leading ultimately to the violence (realistically and frighteningly choreographed by Sierra Young) that sends Jason and Chris to prison.”
-DC Metro Theatre Arts
AIDA
“Fight choreographer, Sierra Young, also deserves great praise for her hard work. She successfully coaches the ensemble into realistic fight scenes keeping them safe, all while handling real and heavy metal props.”
-TheatreBloom