stage directions

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Today, to gauge a film’s potential, Macy aims to read scripts in one sitting and skips over the stage directions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Samuel Beckett, a stickler for faithfulness, didn’t share this laissez-faire attitude toward his stage directions, which he expected to be punctiliously observed by others.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2025

The title of “Enter Ghost” is drawn from William Shakespeare’s stage directions, when King Hamlet’s ghost commands his son to seek justice in their rotten kingdom.

From Washington Post • Apr. 4, 2023

Whereas “Cane” often bends toward tragedy, “Balo” chooses reverie: “AUTUMN DAWN,” the opening stage directions read.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2023

His scripts—for that is what they were—were meticulously detailed, and came complete with stage directions.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith