downstage

American  

[doun-steyj, doun-steyj] / ˈdaʊnˈsteɪdʒ, ˈdaʊnˌsteɪdʒ /

adverb

1. at or toward the front of the stage.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the front of the stage.

noun

1. the front half of the stage.

downstage British  

/ ˈdaʊnˈsteɪdʒ /

adverb

1. at or towards the front of the stage

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adjective

1. of or relating to the front of the stage

noun

1. the front half of the stage

Etymology

Origin of downstage

First recorded in 1895–1900; down ¹ + stage

Example Sentences

At one point, during “Be a Lion,” an encouraging song sung to the cowardly lion, Corn’s Dorothy walks downstage toward the audience.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 29, 2022

Biden walked in and, relatively unceremoniously, sat downstage right.

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2022

Kushner remembers how moments before the final confrontation between Biff and Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman” Garfield would walk downstage and smoke a cigarette, leaning into a spot of red light.

From Washington Post • Nov. 10, 2021

Claudia McNeil in the original “Raisin in the Sun,” falling on her knees, downstage center, at the end of Act One, looking to God for guidance after learning that the family’s entire savings were gone.

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2020

He sat downstage, center, for only a second before glancing over his shoulder, getting up, and walking a few steps upstage to line up with the other players.

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