Frontstage

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The part of a situation or performance that is openly seen or presented to an audience
2. The visible area where events or actions are performed or displayed publicly
3. The section of an event or setting exposed to public view, showing the main activity or presentation

Etymology: "Frontstage" is a simple formation: "front" plus "stage," built on the model of "backstage." The pairing rests on the older contrast between the parts of a theatre that face the audience and the spaces behind the curtain where performers prepare and relax. Once "backstage" was established for the hidden side of a performance, "frontstage" gave a name to the visible side. The word's sense has moved from the literal theatre to a broader idea. It now describes any situation in which people act for an audience, such as a public persona or the official face of an organisation, while the real work or private conversation happens elsewhere. The analogy keeps the two terms as a neat pair, so each one defines the other.