backstage

[ bak-steyj ]

adverb

1. behind the proscenium in a theater, especially in the wings or dressing rooms.
2. toward the rear of the stage; upstage.
3. out of view of the public; in private; behind the scenes:

   Many of the deals were made backstage at the convention.

adjective

1. located or occurring backstage.
2. of or relating to activities unknown to the public.
3. of or relating to the private lives of people in the entertainment industry:

   backstage gossip.

noun

1. Theater. a backstage area.

backstage

/ ˌbækˈsteɪdʒ /

adverb

1. behind the part of the theatre in view of the audience; in the dressing rooms, wings, etc
2. towards the rear of the stage

adjective

1. situated backstage
2. informal.
   away from public view

Word History and Origins

Origin of backstage¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; back ² + stage

Example Sentences

Photographer, artist, musician and diva Tyler Matthew Oyer and I popped around the scene, where Oyer captured moments backstage and on the runway that reverberated with heat and intimacy.

From Los Angeles Times

He gave me some nice flowers during the show, but he also told me backstage, “You would have known a long time ago if I wasn’t cool with this.”

From Los Angeles Times

There’s even a winking reference to her Pussycat Dolls fame in the backstage bit that opens the second act.

From Los Angeles Times

To honour that moment, he gave a nine-minute acceptance speech thanking everyone from his mother to an art teacher he'd met backstage.

From BBC

As more attendees arrive for the 8 p.m. plays, controlled chaos backstage takes hold at each of the center’s five theaters, which vary in size and perspective.

From Los Angeles Times