Preview — proposed new structure for review. Not a live site.
Cessalee Stovall

For review This page takes over from the old “Advocate” page. The four offerings are now the first thing you see, rather than a grid at the bottom. Stage A Change moves from being the whole page to a short closing section — it still has its own site.

Theatre work.

Cessalee Stovall (she/her) is an Intimacy Director, Cultural and Casting Consultant, and an Equity and Inclusion Specialist — an unapologetic champion for the physical, psychological and cultural safety of all humans in our industry. With a consent-centred practice, she balances the needs of the individual with the vision of the project, and empowers communication and collaboration for all stakeholders.

  • Intimacy Director

    Consent-forward intimacy choreography, closed-set protocols and boundary work for stage and screen.

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  • Cultural Consultant

    Works alongside directors, dramaturgs and artists from development to performance to strengthen authenticity and artist agency.

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  • Casting Consultant

    Support before, during and after auditions — including representation in the room, DEI guidance and advocacy for artists.

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  • Equity & Inclusion Specialist

    Helps organisations embed equity and inclusion into their practices, policies and procedures, from idea to action.

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Guiding principles.

Cessalee holds a BA in theatre from Florida State University and draws on 20+ years as a professional actor, director and choreographer, training in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from Purdue University and Cornell University, and certification as a Mental Health First Aider. Her work is consent-forward, grounded in context, and built to support the right to agency over safety for artists, crew, cast and creatives — navigating power dynamics so that those without power don’t have to.

In Australia her intimacy work has been seen at Malthouse Theatre, Antipodes Theatre Company, Darlinghurst Theatre and Griffin Theatre, and on the National Tours of Jagged Little Pill and The Wedding Singer. She has completed over 100 hours of training with IDC, Intimacy Coordinators of Color, Theatrical Intimacy Education and Intimacy Coordinators Australia, and is currently under mentorship with Alicia Rodis.

Recent work.

  • Jagged Little Pill
    Australian National Tour

  • The Wedding Singer
    Australian National Tour

  • Nosferatu
    Malthouse Theatre

  • Stay Woke
    Darlinghurst Theatre Company & Malthouse Theatre

  • Orange Thrower
    Griffin Theatre

  • Anna K
    Malthouse Theatre

  • Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
    Darlinghurst Theatre

  • Tina! The Tina Turner Musical
    DEI Consultant

  • Mamma Mia · Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
    Matt Ward Productions

Where this work began.

In 2017 Cessalee founded Stage A Change, a social enterprise creating professional opportunities for artists of colour across Australia. That work — artist training, community engagement and industry standards — is where her practice in cultural safety started.

Visit Stage A Change Contact Cessalee for a no-obligation consultation