Tony Rock

My first stand-up experience, like most comics, was horrible. I got booed offstage. I thought I was funnier than I was. But the walk from the back of the room to the stage was the most excited I'd ever been about anything in my life other than kissing a girl. That's how I knew I had to get back onstage and do it again.

American Actor

David Bowie

Since the departure of good old-fashioned entertainers the re-emergence of somebody who wants to be an entertainer has unfortunately become a synonym for camp. I don't think I'm camper than any other person who felt at home on stage, and felt more at home on stage than he did offstage.

English Musician

Joe Rogan

Phil Hartman was brilliant, and Dave Foley is a really funny guy. Phil Hartman was actually even funnier offstage than he was onstage because he would say nasty things. Dave Foley's very funny, very witty guy, very quick.

American Comedian

Don Rickles

Most people think the character I do onstage is the way I am offstage, but I'm just a regular guy who spends time with his family and who turns on the television and watches a lot of sports.

Tyra Banks

From offstage until the moment I walk onstage, I constantly tweak my talk show and 'Top Model', but at the same time, I often leave my private life by the wayside.

American Model

Charles Bradley

I go out of my way to acknowledge the public and let them know that I'm not always on stage. Offstage, I care. I live their life.

American Musician

Ali Wong

People are always very surprised by how, offstage with my husband, I'm a completely different person... very soft and nurturing.

American Actress

Jefferson Mays

I try to inhabit each of the characters as fully as I can, however short-lived they are. But most of my show happens offstage.

Gustav Mahler

In the theatrical works we love and admire the most, the ending of the drama generally takes place offstage.

Austrian Composer

Brandon Victor Dixon

If you empathize with your fellow humans on stage, you can't help but do so offstage as well.

Used to describe actions or events in a theater that the audience cannot see.

Theater Context

Emphasizes that something is hidden from the audience intentionally, often for dramatic effect.

No Audience View

Can imply secrecy or actions that are meant to be mysterious and surprising when revealed.

Implies Mystery

Indicates an area or activity in theater that's not meant to be seen by the audience, usually technical.

Not Public

Suggests work or preparation that's needed to support the main event but isn't showcased.

Behind-the-Scenes

Refers to the private, everyday life of a public figure, as opposed to their public persona.

Personal Life

Highlights the difference between a performer's onstage character and their real-life behavior.

Contrast to Role

Helps distinguish the authentic self from the persona adopted for professional purposes.

Reality vs. Persona

 When I blanked at my first piano recital and ran offstage crying, my mom insisted I stay and support my peers. Years later, when my son grimaced at a chipmunk carcass, our cat had left in the driveway,