backstage

American  

[bak-stayj] / 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

See Examples For:

backstage

Despite the change in venue, some things are universal in Nigeria, whose creaking grid is as infamous as Lagos traffic: as the models prepped backstage Friday, the power briefly cut out.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

This conversation, which took place in a backstage trailer vibrating from the country and hip-hop tunes emanating from nearby stages, has been edited for length and clarity.

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

Unions representing Hollywood actors, writers and backstage workers expressed gratitude to Bonta for extracting concessions from Paramount—as well as pessimism over the deal’s implications for their industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Janney, who plays the US President Grace Penn in political drama The Diplomat, told reporters backstage that she was "genuinely shocked" by her win because of how big of a show The Pitt had become.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Princesse told me that Angelina had been crying backstage while she listened to my life story.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana