Neo-Noir Thriller Inspired by the Flint Water Crisis
Written by M.M. Haney | Developed and Directed by Two-Time Obie Award Winner Lee Sunday Evans
Tour Runs September 17 – October 31, 2026

BOSTON, Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Uncommon Productions and Citizen56 announced today the 7-city national tour of The Poisoner, a gripping neo-noir thriller inspired by the Flint water crisis, running September 17 through October 31, 2026. Written by first-time playwright M.M. Haney and directed and developed by two-time Obie Award-winning director Lee Sunday Evans, The Poisoner kicks off at Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem, PA as part of their UnBound Year-Round programming, before traveling through Pittsburgh, Kenosha, Madison, De Pere, Kalamazoo, and closing in Detroit, MI, where they will where they will be joined by community activists from Flint.

The Poisoner is a universal tale — an unraveling of the deception, abuse of power, and utter negligence of early 2000s Midwestern water politics. Driven by a determined journalist who returns to his hometown and uncovers more than he bargained for, the play invites audiences to ask: are we ever safe?

"Five minutes into The Poisoner, you are the reporter and you are the father of the child. And you are in the nursing home. The friend of somebody who actually did fight."
— Michael Moore, Filmmaker & Activist

The production is a fictional work inspired by the Flint water crisis of 2014, aiming to engage audiences and amplify awareness about the persistent challenges faced in Flint, Pittsburgh, and other communities who have grappled with similar crises. In each tour city, Uncommon Productions and Citizen56 will engage directly with local communities — connecting with organizers, advocates, and residents fighting for clean air, safe water, and community control of local natural resources. From the continued prevalence of toxic lead pipes to unregulated PFAS "forever chemicals" in municipal water systems, to the mounting environmental threats posed by the unchecked expansion of data centers, The Poisoner will draw parallels around a simple but urgent truth: the health and safety of our communities must never be subordinate to corporate interests. As safeguards like the Clean Water Act face continued erosion and big tech is working to override the will of the people, the play asks not just how a crisis happened — but who benefits when nothing is done to prevent the next one.

Director Lee Sunday Evans was initially drawn to the project by the power of theater to close the distance between audiences and a crisis that can feel geographically far but is urgently relevant to everyone. She adds, "I was really intrigued by this idea that the play could tackle some of these questions about how economic choices and economic ideologies end up having an impact on the people who live in a place." How economic choices are made and who has the power to decide translates into real consequences for the people and is precisely what the theatrical medium is intended to spotlight in The Poisoner.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

• Bethlehem, PA // Touchstone Theatre // September 17–19, 2026  [Part of UnBound Year-Round Programming]
• Pittsburgh, PA // Alumni Theater // September 24–26, 2026
• Kenosha, WI // Rhode Center // October 1–3, 2026
• Madison, WI // Wisconsin Union Theater // October 8–10, 2026  [All ticket proceeds benefit the André De Shields Fund]
• De Pere, WI // Webb Theatre // October 15–17, 2026
• Kalamazoo, MI // Judy K. Jolliffe Theatre // October 22–24, 2026
• Detroit, MI // Marygrove Theater // October 29–31, 2026  [Closing performance]

Tickets vary by location. For the most up-to-date ticketing information visit www.uncommonproductions.com/the-poisoner/tickets. Several talkbacks throughout the tour will be announced in August and September 2026.

CAST

• Aaron Morton as Ron Finder — collaborator with Ava DuVernay and Lena Waithe; founder of Bridge to Reality
• Brett Diggs as Dwayne Davis — Broadway: Ohio State Murders; Film/TV: Godfather of Harlem, The Equalizer, The Diplomat
• Haskell King as Jack Burden — Russian Troll Farm (Vineyard Theater); Far Country (Yale Rep); member of Ensemble Studio Theatre
• Maude Mitchell as Olive Gaines — Mabou Mines DollHouse (Drama League nomination, Obie, Elliot Norton, Backstage West Garland Awards)

The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

CREATIVE TEAM
Written by: M.M. Haney
Directed & Developed by: Lee Sunday Evans
Producers: Carina Chavda & Anne Phillips
Scenic & Costume Design: Peiyi Wong
Costume Associate: Saiya Palmer
Props Associate: RED Kadetsky
Lighting Design: Stacey Derosier
Lighting Associate: PJ Davis
Sound Design: Brian Hickey
Casting: Taylor Williams & Destiny Miller, CSA
Production Manager: Calvin Anderson
Associate Director: Roman Sanchez
Technical Director: Keighty McLallen
Stage Manager: Fouad Hassan
Assistant Stage Manager: Emily Wasenda

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
M.M. HANEY is an artist, playwright, and entrepreneur. She has developed and produced several narrative documentary and independent feature films including WHAT WE FIND ON THE ROAD, CRACKING THE CODE, and JIM ALLISON: BREAKTHROUGH. She is co-founder of Citizen56, a nonprofit focused on the arts, environment and democracy in America, and World Connect, a global nonprofit.

LEE SUNDAY EVANS is a two-time Obie Award-winning director and the Artistic Director of Waterwell, who directed the world premiere of A WRINKLE IN TIME by Lauren Yee, music and lyrics by Heather Christian, at Arena Stage last season. Other notable credits include ORATORIO FOR LIVING THINGS by Heather Christian, THE FORD/HILL PROJECT which she co-created with Elizabeth Marvel, DANCE NATION by Clare Barron, Waterwell's THE COURTROOM created with Arian Moayed which premiered in a courtroom in the Second Circuit Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, CAUGHT by Christopher Chen, and HOME by Geoff Sobelle. She directed the film adaptation of THE COURTROOM which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2022 and has had grassroots screenings around the country. As part of her work at Waterwell, she has partnered with the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Center for Youth Law, Labor Notes, the Amica Center, the National Center for Youth Law, Dignity Not Detention Coalition, and others to create original projects that make robust contributions to their work on public policy, communications, and organizing.

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS
UNCOMMON PRODUCTIONS was founded in 2000 by Tim Disney and Bill Haney. Uncommon Productions tells stories that inspire, enlighten, and engage. Learn more at www.uncommonproductions.com.

CITIZEN56 is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides educational information about history, democracy, science, social institutions and the environment via online service platforms and applications, films, books and other forms of relevant media. Learn more at www.citizen56.org.

Download the Electronic Press Kit
@the_poisoner_play | uncommonproductions.com/the-poisoner

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SOURCE Citizen56