The Wisconsin Union Theater team is teaming up with Uncommon Productions to bring “The Poisoner”, a three-act play, to the Play Circle Theater in Memorial Union on Oct. 8-10 at 7:30 p.m., as part of the Wisconsin Union Theater’s 2026-27 season.
“The Poisoner,” a neo-noir production inspired by the Flint, Mich., water crisis, follows a journalist’s discovery of water contamination in his hometown. The piece explores the themes of local politics and public trust and raises questions about community safety.
The play, which is by first-time playwright M.M. Haney, premiered at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City in 2024. The play was developed and is directed by Lee Sunday Evans, a two-time Obie Award winner and a Lucille Lortel Award winner, and is co-produced by Uncommon Productions and the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Uncommon Productions was founded in 2000 by writers, directors and producers Tim Disney and Bill Haney. Other Uncommon Productions projects include “Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution,” narrated by Mark Ruffalo, and “What We Find on the Road,” for which Finn Haney won the Best Actor Award at the 2024 Pasadena International Film Festival and first-time director Chaysen Beacham received a nomination for Best Director. “What We Find on the Road” also won the Gold Remi Award for Best Action/Adventure Feature Film at the 57th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival.
“When Uncommon Productions reached out to us asking about presenting ‘The Poisoner’ in the Play Circle, it was a complete meeting of the minds,” Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass said. “Uncommon Productions is mainly a film company, but after a successful run at La MaMa in 2024, they decided to bring ‘The Poisoner’ on tour. Exploring themes of community politics, trust and safety, ‘The Poisoner’ will inspire thought-provoking conversations in the talkbacks to follow each performance.”
Uncommon Productions is donating all proceeds from the play’s ticket sales to the André De Shields Fund, a Wisconsin Union Theater initiative that provides funding to University of Wisconsin–Madison undergraduate students to develop original creative works that inspire transformation. Through seed grants, mentorship and other resources, the fund supports students as they develop, design, produce and perform projects intended to encourage dialogue and reflection. To learn more about the André De Shields Fund, visit union.wisc.edu/andre-de-shields-fund. To make a tax-deductible donation, visit supportuw.org/giveto/andre.
For more information on Wisconsin Union Theater events, ticket information and subscription options, patrons can visit union.wisc.edu/theater.