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.

---

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

---

adjective

1. situated backstage

2. informal away from public view

Etymology

Origin of backstage

First recorded in 1895–1900; back ² + stage

Example Sentences

“It still put the fear in me,” he says, backstage again.

From Los Angeles Times

The chorus of boos that greets Mr. Horner clearly takes him aback, as it does the drivers shown backstage.

From The Wall Street Journal

“There are a lot of moments when I’m backstage being like, ‘Pull it together!’

From Los Angeles Times

Then she glided through the backstage area and disappeared out of sight, just like her coach.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We barely see it happening ... because we are backstage in the madness and the chaos of it," she said.

From Barron's