set the scene

Provide necessary background

To set the scene is to establish context or create conditions for what follows.

A novelist sets the scene by describing a setting before action begins.

A host sets the scene for a romantic dinner with candles and music.

In conversation, you set the scene before telling a story: Let me set the scene—it's 2 AM, we're lost in Brooklyn, and my phone is dead.

narrative

exposition

Systematic explanatory presentation

contextCircumstances shaping meaning
backstoryCharacter's past narrative
premiseFoundation for logical argument

setup · foreshadowing · prologue · opening · framing · worldbuilding · introduction · establishing shot · voiceover · narrator

atmosphere

ambiance

Mood of surroundings

moodPrevailing emotional condition
toneQuality of sound
vibeIntuitive sense of mood

aura · feeling · environment · ethos · air · climate · character · spirit · energy · undercurrent

staging

backdrop

Rear stage scenery

lightingArt of illuminating spaces
propsTheater accessories or praise
costumesClothes for assuming roles

blocking · mise-en-scène · tableau · set design · soundscape · color palette · shadows · silhouettes · foreground · background

commencement

prelude

Introductory piece or event

openingGap or start
kickoffOpening play in football
outsetInitial point of something

beginning · launch · start · lead-in · preamble · curtain-raiser · first act · overture · entrance · arrival

Opposites

narrative/communicative preparation

set the scenecut to the chase

Skip to essentials

plunge in · dive in · get down to business · hit the ground running

establishment vs. disruption

set the scenebreak the fourth wall

Performer acknowledges the audience

Family

scene, sets, setting, setter, preset, subset, offset, scenes, scenic

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G