Dr. Erving Goffman developed the dramaturgical theory of society, which uses theater terminology to describe social interactions. The theory suggests that life can be compared to a play with moral lessons. According to this theory, we are all actors and actresses who require scripts, costumes, and sets to perform our roles. A crucial aspect of this theory is the distinction between front stage and back stage.
Of course, we all know the difference between these two when speaking of a literal theater production. The front stage is where the performance takes place in front of an audience. The backstage, behind the curtain, is where actors and actresses can be themselves without worrying about being judged by the audience. Similarly, in life, the front stage is what people want us to see while backstage is where people selectively choose to only tell certain things to certain people.
Backstage is when there is no acting and your true feelings show, but most people never see this. I have performed in many plays at my high school and have a good understanding of the difference between front and backstage. One time, I thought I had turned off my microphone after going behind the curtain, but I had not. So, I started talking about how I missed a whole section because of screaming kids. I was going on and on until I realized the entire audience was listening.
It was quite embarrassing, to say the least. In my regular everyday life, I exhibit both front and back stages. For example, when I’m around a crowd of people and upset about something, I act like everything is fine instead of explaining what’s wrong. This is an example of front stage behavior because I pretend and only let the audience know so much. However, when around just my friends, I tell them exactly how I feel – an example of being back stage because I no longer hide my emotions.
