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The Theater
Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War
By James Verini
Read by Edoardo Ballerini
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About The Book
In the tradition of John Hersey’s Hiroshima, a terse and piercing look at a critical episode in the Ukraine War, from the award-winning author of They Will Have to Die Now.
In March of 2022, three weeks after invading Ukraine, Russian forces bombed the shelter housed in the Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theater, in the city of Mariupol. The bombing stands, to this day, as the single worst act of mass civilian killing of the war. This book tells the story of the group of ordinary Ukrainians—workers, teachers, actors—who built that shelter, giving succor to thousands of their countrypeople, before it was destroyed. Their audacity and humor and humanity in the midst of the siege of Mariupol, against impossible odds, will leave readers inspired, amused, and devastated. Their story is the story of a young republic and its struggle to survive.
In March of 2022, three weeks after invading Ukraine, Russian forces bombed the shelter housed in the Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theater, in the city of Mariupol. The bombing stands, to this day, as the single worst act of mass civilian killing of the war. This book tells the story of the group of ordinary Ukrainians—workers, teachers, actors—who built that shelter, giving succor to thousands of their countrypeople, before it was destroyed. Their audacity and humor and humanity in the midst of the siege of Mariupol, against impossible odds, will leave readers inspired, amused, and devastated. Their story is the story of a young republic and its struggle to survive.
About The Author
Photograph © James Verini
James Verini writes for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and National Geographic, among other publications. His journalism has received a National Magazine Award and a George Polk Award. He is the author of They Will Have to Die Now, about the battle that brought down ISIS.
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Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (May 19, 2026)
- Runtime: 6 hours and 23 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781668110669
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Raves and Reviews
"The Theater is a shocking book… It’s the best kind of war reporting: you can't bear to read it but you really can't bear to put it down. Future journalists will study this book for lessons on how to do their jobs.”
—Sebastian Junger, New York Times bestselling author of In My Time of Dying
"Impeccably reported, fantastically detailed, humane. Verini’s book makes you care deeply about these people... He distills the full obscenity of Putin’s invasion down to a single catastrophic moment.”
—William Finnegan, Pulitizer Prize–winning author of Barbarian Days
“An essential read to understand the human cost of the largest war in Europe since 1945.”
—Serhii Plokhy, author of The Gates of Europe
“Essential reporting about a defining atrocity of the Russo-Ukrainian War… Verini’s informative interviews and no-nonsense prose bring us as close as possible to his subjects’ experiences… An authoritative account of Russia’s bombing of a shelter for displaced Ukrainians.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
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