an originally French word that means extra (as in a theatrical production); related words "unfiguranted" and "figurantless" mean "without anonymous extras" (where everyone is a protagonist of sorts)
unfiguranted
quoted from IJ. I think DFW coined this word
figurantless crowds
quoted from IJ
to reinforce the sense that the anonymous many (the figurants?) who make up his audience had a place in his text
A term from ballet, originally, figurant, the wraith explains.
She saw again Deepa’s wall of female figurants, her assemblage of images at once diverse and singular