'downstage' originates from the combination of 'down' and 'stage', where 'down' meant 'toward a lower position' and 'stage' referred to the performance area in a theater.

The term 'downstage' evolved from the practice in theater where stages were raked, meaning they sloped downward toward the audience, making the front of the stage literally 'down'.

Initially, it referred to the physical slope of the stage, but over time it evolved to mean the front area of the stage.