Basic+ Word of the Day: stage

stage (noun, verb) past tense: staged

A stage is a step or phase of a project, development or series.

• Fred spent the early stages of his career learning about the industry.
• The last stage of pregnancy can be very uncomfortable.

A stage is also the platform on which actors and entertainers perform in a theater.

• In the first act, there were only two actors on the stage.
• When the curtain opened, we saw a string quartet on the stage.
• During the intermission, they transformed the stage into a beautiful garden.

Stage also means ‘to produce a performance.’

• They staged the new play at the outdoor theater.

Common uses

stage fright: nervousness in front of an audience. Example: “Marcia always has a bit of stage fright on opening night.”

stage right (or left): the right (or left) side of the stage from the point of view of the actors. Example: “The stage direction says you should exit stage right.”

Related words

stagecoach: a horse-drawn carriage that formerly traveled on regular routes, carrying passengers and parcels. Example: “In the 1800s, many people traveled from town to town on stagecoaches.”

In pop culture

Watch the trailer for the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Stage Fright. Do you think the actors are afraid of the audience or someone else?

There are other meanings of stage.