Artist Spotlight: Leo Mock

I’m going to start off open and honest here.  I am a queer, trans non-binary, ace person, and intimate scenes are often hard for me to watch.  I respect them, and I definitely know there’s a place for them, but they’re just really hard for me.  It’s really any type of medium that gets me.  I know this is a combination of a lot of things, but usually, anything sexual and I’m averting my gaze.  This is just me, and a part of my identity.  Maybe I’m missing out on some things, but I do what I have to for me.

This is exactly why I knew I needed to talk to Leo Mock, the intimacy coordinator for Horsegirl & Cowdaddy.  Because the intimate scenes they created with the main characters weren’t uncomfortable for me in a way these things usually are.  I think that takes a really special touch…at least for me.  There’s a lot of kink in these scenes, but I still didn’t feel that uncomfortableness I usually feel.  And as the intimacy coordinator, I figured Leo probably had quite a bit to say on the matter.

There was so much in Horsegirl & Cowdaddy that I hadn’t even thought of at first.  But Leo really answered my questions with knowledge and insight, and I’m so grateful for that.  This is a person who created something magical.  I give so much credit to the actors, especially reading some of what Leo wrote, but I’m so glad I got to ask them some questions.  I love everything that they did to create a safe space…in a space where I don’t usually feel so safe.

Was there any particular inspiration for what you did with these scenes?

Inspiration included watching old westerns, The Last Unicorn, The Duke of Burgundy, as well as looking at horses, watching videos of horses, and pulling from a variety of kink, bdsm, and pony play practices.

You turned some very strange sexual scenes into scenes that felt totally normal.  What was the key to creating that?

I think the key to making any sex scene interesting is to get really clear and specific about how it serves the story. With these scenes, we really wanted to prioritize A) the dynamic they're establishing (how they relate to and play with power), B) the newness of the ways they're experiencing intimacy with one another, and C) the transformative capacity that this intimacy and relationship holds. As with any kink or fetish, I'm gonna focus less on the specific element, and more on how the characters feel about and react to what is happening. The smack of the crop is less important than seeing how she reacts to it. By focusing on the character and story, we can more easily relate to what's happening on stage, because we're invested in and relating to the character, not the actions happening, either literal or simulated.

What was your biggest challenge in creating these scenes?

My biggest challenge was how much material ended up on the cutting room floor! We went through a few different iterations, and we absolutely landed on the right one, but there was so much that we couldn't use for a number of reasons. That, and, there were so many unique costume elements to work with that ended up shaping the scene just based on how they informed actor movement and spacing. 

Samora and Ni-Ni looked totally at ease and natural with each other.  How did you get them to this point?

So much of that is Samora and Ni-Ni! They are both incredibly lovely people and dedicated artists. We had a lot of play and grace and laughter in the rehearsal room, and we established some practices for them to incorporate contact into their storytelling, and so much of what you see comes from their impulses. Thanks to Adil's style of directing, and our care coordinator, Anthony Martinez-Briggs, and some of the tools I brought in for talking through needs, boundaries, and impulses, we had a foundation of trust that meant we could have a super collaborative process. Our final drafts came from me facilitating some contact-improv-esque exploration, wherein they both planted a ton of flowers I could arrange into the bouquet you see on stage!

How did you create queer intimacy scenes for an audience that is not just queer people?

There's a lot of overlap in this answer and #2. Everyone can relate to uncovering something new that feels good (in sexual or non-sexual contexts), to connection, to playfulness. Because queer intimacy is working against cis-hetero normativity, I think there's a lot of freedom that non-queer folks can learn from and incorporate into their own relationships. That could be undoing assumptions about power or pleasure or any other way sex tends to get scripted for straight, cis folks. I used to be (and still occasionally am) a sex educator, and we learn so much from our media and entertainment about what sex and relationships "should" or can look like, and it's even more impactful for folks who don't receive comprehensive and inclusive sex education. I know part of my job is educational, and my greatest hope is that this work sparks conversations about pleasure and desires for everyone!

What’s up next?

Up next, we start prepping to bring this show up to New York! I'm also working on a new draft of my solo clown/drag show, learning how to do a handstand, and IC'ing The Adding Machine at Rowan, where I adjunct.

***

Funny story.  I think I chased Leo through the entire lobby of The Wilma to talk to them.  Like I said, I knew I had to.  Everyone I talked to who I knew was like, “Oh yeah, they’re over there.” and the next person would be like, “I think I saw them over there.”  Over and over.  By the time I found Leo, I felt like I had just run a marathon.  It was honestly pretty hilarious, especially since I was slightly tipsy from my drink.  But I found Leo, and got this fantastic interview.  I love when these things work out.