Book excerpt: Collaborative Stage Directing: A Guide to Creating and Managing a Positive Theatre Environment focuses on the director's collaboration with actors and the creative team, and the importance of communication and leadership skills to create and manage a healthy working environment. Speaking directly to the student, this compact resource walks the aspiring director through basic principles of group dynamics, active listening, open-ended questioning, brainstorming, and motivational leadership, supported by examples and case studies offered by current professional and academic directors. With a focus on preparing the student director for resume-building opportunities beyond the studio lab, Collaborative Stage Directing challenges readers with reflective activities, a series of guiding questions to apply to three short plays, and an extensive checklist to assist them with independent directing projects. As an easy-to-use resource, Collaborative Stage Directing works as a supplement to a classic directing text or as a stand-alone guide.