Cosmopolitan India – August 2019

88 COSMOPOLITAN AUGUST 2019 FOR MORE GREAT STORIES, VISIT COSMO.IN

love & lust

FOR MORE GREAT STORIES, VISIT COSMO.IN

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SET THE SCENE

“I recommend starting

at home, where you’re more

likely to feel comfortable,”

says Vanessa. If you can’t

get in the headspace of a

lusty lit prof boning her

top student next to the pile

of half-clean clothes on

the chair in your bedroom,

maybe lead your eager-

to-please pupil to new

territory, like the living

room...as long as, you

know, you’re alone. This

show doesn’t need an

audience.

GET IN COSTUME

(OR DON’T!)

No costume designer or stylist

on your ‘set’? Keeping it simple,

with a couple of props, can be

just as sultry, says Vanessa. She

suggests improvising with stuff you

have at home and imagining the

rest. Put a regular old tie on your

otherwise shirtless ‘accountant’

(the naked-er, the better, right?),

and voilà.

LOCK DOWN THE PLOT

No need to write a legit screenplay,

but agreeing on a few basic cues can

help with nerves and logistics, says

Vanessa. If you’re a client meeting your

jacked personal trainer, maybe you

agree (over a series of NSFW texts

throughout the day) that he’ll punish you

for every squat set you can’t complete.

By the time you get to your sweat sesh,

you’ll already be warmed up.

LEARN

(A FEW) LINES

Similarly, having

a couple of go-to

phrases at the ready

can help keep things

moving along if you’re

stumped. Before you

get busy, “Try to think

of what you’d say in the

actual situation,” says

US-based improv acting

coach Kathy Yamamoto.

Then add a kinky

kicker: ‘It’s been so hot

without the A/C...thank

goodness you’re here to

fix it! If you get too warm

while you work, feel free

PLAY WHAT to strip down.’

YOU KNOW

Actual actors do full

character studies, but you

can just think of roles you’re

already familiar with, from

real life (masseuse + client)

or pop culture (superhero

+ whoever’s lucky

enough to hook up with a

superhero). Starting with a

known scenario cuts down

on prep so you can get right

down to business, says

US-based sex therapist

Vanessa Marin.

LAUGH OFF

THE BLOOPERS

This is so not the

time to act all serious

or particular, says

Vanessa. Role-playing

is about “having fun

in the bedroom and

reconnecting with your

partner. So if somebody

says something that’s

totally out of character,

you can just giggle about

it and then jump back

into the scene with each

other.” Aka prepare to

crack up. A lot.

JUST DON’T

GO ALL ‘ROTTEN

TOMATOES’ ON YOUR

PARTNER

After your grand finales,

you can share positive

performance notes,

like, ‘That changed my

life!’ But keep negative

critiques to yourself,

says Kathy, since feelings

can get hurt easily when

it comes to ~art~. If

you’re up for doing the

scene again, talk through

anything that tripped you

up. Or suggest a brand-

new fantasy, since you

two are obvio now award-

worthy at boning.

Sure, SATC’s

Samantha lit-er-al-ly

started

sleeping with a pro

actor to bring her

fave sexual fantasies

to life...but she was

always a little extra.

If you’re nervous to

play pretend for hotter

sex (or your acting

skills are more ‘I was

in my fifth-grade play, I

think?’ than

‘My Oscars speech is

ready to go’), we’re on

it. Here’s how to get it

right on your first take.

Breaking and

entering? Don’t

mind if I do.

HOW TO ROLE

PLAY WHEN

YOU CAN’T ACT

Become the Meryl Streep of your bedroom in

seven easy steps!