backstage

American  

[bak-steyj] / ˈbækˈsteɪdʒ /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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adjective

1. situated backstage

2. informal away from public view

Etymology

Origin of backstage

First recorded in 1895–1900; back ² + stage

Explanation

Backstage is the area of a theater where the actors wait until it's time to walk onstage and play their parts. The audience can't see what's going on backstage. If you get a backstage pass at a rock concert, it means you'll get to go behind the scenes once the show is over, and possibly meet the musicians in person. Many people who are involved in a show, performance, or play stay backstage the whole time: costume designers, makeup directors, and set painters, for example. The word is also sometimes used in a figurative way to mean "secret" or "behind the scenes."

Example Sentences

The Dolby audience repeatedly cheered as Jackson, Smith and Ladd shared backstage stories about the series, one of numerous TV hits developed and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

“There’s a lot of product, a lot of Gucci,” de Meo said as he walked from his seat to the backstage area to congratulate Demna.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The backstage world of a small regional theater—crowded with ego, activity and illusion—provides rich material for the comic novelist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Also backstage, film-maker director Maggie Kang doubled down on her remarks during her acceptance speech at the ceremony, saying she's "just so proud of Korean film and movies about Korea".

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

During the actual performances he and Arnold were to stay backstage and out of sight—unless something happened to Ginger.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg