WNYC and Theater of War present the premiere of
THEATER OF WAR ON THE RADIO
THEATER OF WAR ON THE RADIO
A new series of live broadcasts that combine readings of timely news stories by all-star casts with listener call-ins
First edition, “ICE IN OUR SCHOOLS,” will air
on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 8pm ET
Live on WNYC & at wnyc.org
FEBRUARY 18, 2026 – NEW YORK, NY – WNYC and Theater of War announced today a new partnership for a series of live broadcasts, Theater of War on the Radio. The series unites the worlds of long-form journalism, theater, and live radio to bring listeners into dialogue with the news and each other in novel ways.
The monthly series debuts on Thursday, February 19 with “ICE in Our Schools,” featuring Academy Award winner Julianne Moore, Tony Award nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega and Emmy Award winner Sam Waterston narrating Jessica Winter’s original reporting, “ICE’s Assault on a Minnesota School District,” which appeared in The New Yorker. They will also read United States district judge Fred Bierly’s recent opinion in the case of the deportation of Adrian Conejo Arias and his 5-year-old son, Liam Ramos, whose story received national attention after photos of ICE agents taking the child into custody went viral.
Following the reading, host Kai Wright and Theater of War’s founder and artistic director Bryan Doerries will open the phones for listener calls about ICE’s presence in New York City, and its impact on schools and children.
“Great actors have a crucial role to play in helping audiences engage with journalism. A committed reading of a compelling, narrative-driven article by talented performers can attune listeners to the emotional and moral stakes of a story, strengthening their relationship with its subject and opening a space for dialogue and understanding,” said Bryan Doerries, Artistic Director, Theater of War.
“WNYC is excited to partner with Theater of War on these live broadcasts, finding an innovative way to share the most important news stories of the day to our audiences,” said Emily Botein, Vice President, WNYC Studios. “By bringing in the public radio staple of a call-in program, we’re able to offer a public forum for a dialogue about how these articles and issues directly impact callers’ day-to-day lives.”
“ICE in Our Schools” will air tomorrow, Thursday February 19 at 8pm on WNYC (93.9 FM, AM 820) and at wnyc.org. The special will also be available for on-demand streaming following the broadcast.
Additional Theater of War on the Radio broadcasts will take place on a monthly basis through May 2026. Details about future editions will be announced at a later date.
Theater of War on the Radio follows WNYC and Theater of War’s 2025 collaboration on a series of six live events, in which acclaimed actors from Theater of War Productions’ roster read articles from The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and ProPublica in front of studio audiences at WNYC’s event venue, The Greene Space. The series featured performances by actors including Oscar Isaac, Jesse Eisenberg, Hope Davis, David Strathairn, Amy Ryan, Gary Farmer, Debra Winger, Lou Diamond Phillips, Chad Coleman, and Frankie Faison that were followed by guided, community-driven discussions about topics including public safety, Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs, mental health, insurance ghost networks, domestic violence, long Covid, fatherhood, and mortality. The resulting radio specials are available for on-demand streaming.
ABOUT THEATER OF WAR
Theater of War presents charged performances of seminal texts—led by acclaimed actors such as Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, David Strathairn, John Turturro, Paul Giamatti, Lois Smith, Oscar Isaac, Damian Lewis, Bill Murray and others—for audiences with something at stake in order to catalyze crucial dialogue about pressing issues. Its projects often take place in homeless shelters and jails, military bases and hospitals, housing projects, churches, public parks, and rival gang territories, but also in cultural spaces such as BAM, Lincoln Center, DeBalie (in Amsterdam), the Greek National Opera, and the Red Steps in Times Square. All the company’s projects are designed to be authentic, community-driven exchanges that culminate in guided audience discussions about challenging, often divisive subjects. Its most recent performance, The Drum Major Instinct, featuring Jeffrey Wright, Zohran Mamdani, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Jumaane Williams, took place at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on January 19, 2026, in honor of MLK Day. For more info, please visit: theaterofwar.com.
ABOUT WNYC
With an urban vibrancy and a global perspective, WNYC is New York’s public radio station, broadcasting and streaming award-winning journalism, groundbreaking audio programming, and essential talk radio to the city and beyond. WNYC offers its listeners a unique range of local, national, and international programming, including programming from NPR, American Public Media, and the BBC World Service, along with a roster of WNYC-produced local programs that champion the stories and spirit of New York City and the surrounding region, including The Brian Lehrer Show and All Of It. From its state-of-the-art studios, WNYC is reshaping audio for a new generation of listeners, producing some of the most beloved nationally-syndicated public radio programs including Radiolab, On the Media, and The New Yorker Radio Hour. WNYC broadcasts on 93.9 FM and AM 820 to listeners in New York and the tri-state area, and is available to audiences everywhere at WNYC.org, the WNYC app, and through major digital radio services, all made possible through the generous support of our members, donors, and sponsors.