Skip to main content

THE POISONER: A play by M. M. Haney

Photo of a water tower with WUT branding.
Wisconsin Union Theater Presents:

THE POISONER: A play by M. M. Haney

Theater
Starts -
Doors open at 7 PM
Wisconsin Union Theater
Play Circle
Free-$46 | Save up to 20% with a Build-Your-Own Subscription
Inspired by the Flint, Michigan, water crisis, the neo-noir play "The Poisoner" raises universal questions about local politics, public trust, and community safety.
Buy Tickets

All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the André De Shields Fund, a fund dedicated to supporting UW-Madison undergraduates to create, produce, or present original artistic projects designed to inspire social change. Thank you to Uncommon Productions for their generosity and activism through the arts.

The André De Shields Fund is made possible with lead gifts from Jonathan and Susan Lipp and Jun and Sandy Lee, with special support from Deirdre Garton. The André De Shields Fund is an initiative of the Wisconsin Union Theater at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Learn more about the André De Shields Fund here.

THE POISONER  
A play by M. M. Haney  
Developed & directed by Lee Sunday Evans  
Co-produced by Uncommon Productions and the Wisconsin Union Theater

Premiered at New York’s acclaimed La MaMa Experimental Theatre in 2024, The Poisoner by first-time playwright M. M. Haney portrays one journalist’s shocking discovery of water contamination in his hometown and its personal and political fallout. Inspired by the 2014 water crisis in Flint, Michigan, this neo-noir detective story raises universal questions about local politics, public trust, and community safety while depicting the humanity of people caught up in the political machine. Come see a play as urgent as it is timeless that asks us to consider the personal stakes of local politics.

Related Events:

Thursday, October 8 | Talkback: The Role of Independent and Investigative Journalism
Following the Thursday, October 8 performance, Jim Malewitz of Wisconsin Watch and Adam Schrager of the UW–Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication join the creative team of The Poisoner for a conversation on the critical role of independent and investigative journalism in exposing public health and environmental crises — and what happens to communities when the institutions meant to protect them go unchallenged.

Friday, October 9 | Talkback: Celebrating the André de Shields Fund
Following the Friday, October 9 performance, the Wisconsin Union Theater Director Elizabeth Snodgrass and The Poisoner director Lee Sunday Evans will talk with recipients of the André de Shields Fund to explore the intersections of art, activism, and civic life — and the role of the next generation of artists in carrying these stories forward.

Saturday, October 10 | The Poisoner Touch Tour
Touch Tours will be offered from 6:30 to 7 PM before the final performance on October 10. This guided pre-show experience invites any patrons who benefit from tactile exploration to step onto the stage and engage with key props, costumes, and set pieces by touch. To arrange a touch tour, please contact info@uncommonproductions.com by 5 PM on October 9.

Subscribe and Save!

This event is available at up to a 20% discount with a Build-Your-Own Subscription.

As a 2026–2027 Season Subscriber, you get early access to tickets and the best seats, plus invitations to subscriber-only events.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Colorful collage featuring 26-27 Wisconsin Union Theater Season artists.
Single ticket pricing:
  • UW–Madison Students: FREE
  • General Public: $46
  • Wisconsin Union Members: $42
  • Student (any): $20
  • Youth (17 and under): $20
Event Tags
Theater Calendar
Theater Season

Presented by:

Programmed By:
WUD Performing Arts Committee
performingarts@union.wisc.edu

With support from:

National Endowment for the Arts