upstaging

Diverting audience attention

Upstaging is drawing attention away from someone who should be the focus.

An actor upstages another by positioning themselves to force the other to turn away from the audience.

More broadly, anyone who overshadows another at their moment—a guest wearing white to a wedding, a sibling announcing an engagement at your birthday—is upstaging: She accused the bridesmaids of upstaging her.

overshadowing

outshining

Surpassing in brilliance

eclipsingObscuring by surpassing
outdoingSurpassing in performance
surpassingGoing beyond in quality

outperforming · dimming · obscuring · overshadowing · one-upping · marginalizing · sidelining · diminishing · minimizing · detracting

theatrical

scene-stealing

Outperforming others onstage

grandstandingPerforming to impress onlookers
hamCured pig thigh
overactingExcessive theatrical performance

diva · showboating · attention-grabbing · dramatic · flamboyant · melodramatic · histrionic · mugging · theatrical · exhibitionist

rivalry

competition

Struggle for supremacy

jealousyResentful desire for another's advantages
resentmentPersistent bitter displeasure
envyResentful longing for another's

one-upmanship · showdown · vying · jockeying · undermining · sabotage · backstabbing · cutthroat · adversarial · contentious

positioning

blocking

Impeding forward progress

maneuveringSkillful directional control
repositioningMoving to new spot
downstageToward the audience

sightlines · choreography · spatial · placement · mise-en-scene

upstaging

outshining

scene-stealing

competition

blocking

upstaging

Opposites

Categories

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