a new PeRSPeC for the THeATRe CLASSRoom by Laurie Kincman raditional video documentation from the audience's point of view can be successfully incorporated in a wide array of theatre courses. The vibrancy of the art form almost demands it. Video components appeal to visual learners, provide a point of commonality for all students in the classroom, and introduce a practical application of theoretical information. In nearly every case lectures and discussions improve with the introduction of multimedia. I regularly incorporate visuals in my teaching, combining archival DVDs available for commercial purchase with YouTube clips posted by theatre companies around the country as part of efforts to publicize current offerings. But this perspective of the show is not an effective choice for a stage management course because it presents the production without context. I tried utilizing the sources that had served me well in my appreciation or arts administration courses, but found that here the material undercut the points I was trying to demonstrate. To be successful as a tool for educating stage managers the media needs to document not only what happens but how. A member of the team from the first day, the stage manager first focuses on the collection and dissemination of information as discoveries are made in the rehearsal hall. This task requires sensitivity and precision in order to ensure that the entire team proceeds toward the same vision. At the end of the process, the blending of artistic sensibility and technical proficiency becomes most visible in the calling of a show-giving precise cues to the technicians about when and how to execute lighting, sound, and scenic changes. These important skills are very difficult to develop strictly in a classroom setting because it is responsiveness in the moment that makes the work a success. The challenge is how to create a virtual learning environment which can capture important nuances in the context in which the stage manager will experience them during an actual play or musical. Unable to find an existing source for the footage I wanted, I set out to make my own. I filmed and edited a series of short production excerpts from the stage manager's point of view for The audience's view of a scene from Rent. The stage manager's view of the show. 68 theatre design & technology f a l l 2011