offstage

“Tim himself was actually a kind of quiet intellectual offstage, but onstage he really knew how to let it rip.”

Presley and Parker grew distant, as Presley insulated himself with sycophants and his behavior both on and offstage grew increasingly erratic.

Be careful though because, according to the promotional material, "the drama is just as intense offstage as it is under the spotlight".

Others are quietly shuffled offstage, clinging to their aspic molds and doily-lined plates.

The scene is a foreshadow, and signals that the novel will compress time, dwelling on certain details or events, while allotting mere lines to other pivotal moments, or allowing them to occur offstage, in passing.