Right This Way: A History of the Audience

When you sit down at a play, movie, or concert—or even just watch TV or scroll on your phone—you are taking part in one of the oldest and most meaningful forms of behavior. Being part of an audience is a universal experience, one that has remained a constant feature of human societies even as it has evolved from colosseums to tiny glowing screens.

Right This Way is a pop history of audiences through the ages. Delving into the distinctive aspects of what he calls “audiencing,” former Playbil...