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The situation is this. A theatrical actress asks her producer to give her daughter a small part in one of the next shows. Here's the dialogue:

  • Can't we find her a small part next season?
  • If Nancy's doing it, it won't be a small part.
  • Oh, well, there must be something.
  • Maybe I'll look for a nice offstage cyclone for her to do.

It's surely some kinda joke, but I don't understand it completely. Could offstage cyclone mean some kind of theatrical noises of storm during a show or something? Like wanted sounds for a show's sound decoration?

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"Offstage cyclone" is not an idiom or recognised phrase. It has no meaning outside of a particular narrative like this.

The speaker is implying that they will not give the daughter a part on stage, but is joking that if they need a very violent disturbance offstage, they'll consider the daughter. This seems to imply that the producer regards Nancy as noisy, violent, or disruptive.

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