Set the Stage - Theatre Etymology - Part 37

"Set the stage" is common phrase in usage. Most people know that it means to prepare for something or to "make way" or "establish the requirements" for something to happen. It can also mean "to make everything ready" for an event or to "make something possible" for something else to happen.

Of course, the phrase "set the stage" comes from the theatre. It is extremely literal because in the theatre the stage had to be set in order for a play to start. All of the correct scenery, set pieces, and props had to be on the stage in order for the play to start. Even if the stage was a bare stage, it was important that the stage was bare (and hopefully clean - although clean could be relative to the time period the performance took place).

The word set comes from the Middle English verb setten or the Old English verb settan. It is also descended from the Old Norse verb setja, the German verb setzen, and the Gothic verb satjan. All of these come from the Germanic word satjan which is a causative of setjan meaning to sit. The origin of the word stage can be found in the post for Exit, Stage Left.

Today, the phrase "set the stage" is also still used in theatre. It has also been used to name furniture stores, furniture collections, interior decorating companies, musical albums, makeup brands, marking and adverting companies, and clothing stores. Many books have used it as a title or part of a title. It is found in names of companies that focus on preparing for teaching children (or others) and in the titles of many articles written about various topics. These topics include movies, theatre, politics, television, celebrities, and sports.

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