LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE CLUB PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF UNCOMMON PRODUCTIONS’ THE POISONER

WRITTEN BY M.M. HANEY
DIRECTED BY LEE SUNDAY EVANS
APRIL 6 – 21, 2024
AT LA MAMA’S DOWNSTAIRS THEATER
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT 
LAMAMA.ORG/SHOWS/THE-POISONER-2024

NEW YORK, March 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club will present the world premiere of Uncommon Productions’ The Poisoner, written by first-time playwright M. M. Haney and directed and developed by two-time Obie Award-winning director Lee Sunday Evans (Oratorio for Living Things). The Poisoner begins performances in La MaMa’s Downstairs Theater (66 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) on Saturday April 6, 2024, and will run through Sunday April 21, 2024.

A universal tale, The Poisoner is an unraveling of the deception, abuse of power, and utter negligence of early 2000’s Midwestern water politics. In a neo-noir thriller driven by a determined journalist who returns to his hometown and uncovers more than he bargained for, The Poisoner invites you to question, are we ever safe?

The cast for The Poisoner will include Shawn Randall (Behind the Sheet) as ‘Ron Finder,” Brett Diggs (Ohio State Murders) as “Dwayne Davis,” Gregory Connors (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window) as “Jack Burden” and Obie Award winner Lizbeth Mackay (Mr. Parker) as “Olive Gaines.”

The Poisoner will feature scenic & costume design by Peiyi Wong (Public Obscenities), lighting design by Stacey Derosier (Teeth) and sound design by Brian Hickey (The Pool Plays 3.0). Nadia Guevara (Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie) is the Associate Director/Dramaturg.

The Poisoner is a fictional work inspired by the Flint water crisis of 2014 that aims to engage audiences to amplify awareness about the persistent challenges faced in Flint, Jackson, Newark, and other communities grappling with similar crises. The Poisoner spotlights the critical need for accountability and vigilance in public health and safety decision-making, to ensure that such a grievous mistake is never repeated. The play is a tribute to the resilience and spirit of activism; it celebrates the relentless efforts of journalists, artists, and activists who have tirelessly worked to give voice to those in their fight for justice and change.

April 2024 commemorates a somber milestone as the 10-year anniversary of the fateful decision to switch Flint, Michigan’s water supply from the Detroit system to the Flint River. This cost-cutting move spiraled into one of the most notorious public health disasters of our time that led to loss of life, widespread illnesses and enduring health challenges that continue to affect Flint’s residents today. This tragedy stands as a stark symbol of the profound breach of trust between communities and their governments.

The performance schedule for The Poisoner is as follows: Saturday April 6 at 8pm; Sunday April 7 at 4pm; Thursday April 11 at 8pm; Friday April 12 at 8pm; Saturday April 13 at 8pm; Sunday April 14 at 4pm; Thursday April 18 at 8pm; Friday April 19 at 8pm; Saturday April 20 at 4pm; Sunday April 21 at 4pm.

Matinee performances will include talkbacks with talented artists, fashion designers, photojournalists and community advocates who have contributed to democracy, water justice, and beauty in Flint and beyond. Talkback guests will include Vince Duffy, News Director of Michigan Public Radio, who produced “Not Safe to Drink” and Matt Black, a Magnum photographer who created the award-winning photo essay “The Fall of Flint” on Sunday April 7; and fashion designer Tracy Reese, co-creator of the collection titled “Flint Fit” using 90,000 plastic bottles from the Flint water crisis on Saturday April 20. Additional talkback guests will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for The Poisoner are $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors. The first 10 tickets for each performance are $10 each, limited to 2 per person. Tickets are available now at www.lamama.org/shows/the-poisoner-2024.

ABOUT LA MAMA

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is dedicated to the artist and all aspects of the theatre. La MaMa’s 62nd “Radical Access” Season comes on the heels of our 61st season when we re-opened our newly-renovated, original theater at 74 E. 4th St. The building’s $24 million makeover provides the return of the fully accessible Club, a new Community Arts Space for neighboring groups in the East Village, and an expanded public lobby and galleries. Our “Radical Access” initiative builds an infrastructure of opportunity that supports new ways of connecting us to people and communities around the world, expanding our means of connectivity and providing space where artists and digital tools converge from multiple points of entry. 

La MaMa has been honored with 30+ Obie Awards, dozens of Drama Desk, Bessie Awards, Villager Awards, the 2018 Regional Theatre Tony Award, and most recently a 2023 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Special Citation. We are a creative home to artists and resident companies from around the world, many of whom have made lasting contributions to the arts, including Blue Man Group, Bette Midler, Sam Shephard, Ed Bullins, Ping Chong, Jackie Curtis, André De Shields, Adrienne Kennedy, Harvey Fierstein, Diane Lane, Playhouse of the Ridiculous, Tom Eyen, Pan Asian Rep, Spiderwoman Theater, Tadeusz Kantor, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Mabou Mines, Meredith Monk, Peter Brook, David and Amy Sedaris, Julie Taymor, Kazuo Ohno, Tom O’Horgan, Andrei Serban, Liz Swados, and Andy Warhol. La MaMa’s vision of nurturing new artists and new work from all nations, cultures, races and identities remains as strong today as it was when Ellen Stewart first opened the doors in 1961.

ABOUT UNCOMMON PRODUCTIONS

Founded in 2000 by Tim Disney and Bill Haney, Uncommon Productions tells stories that inspire, enlighten, and engage. Learn more at www.uncommonproductions.com.

CONNECT WITH US

Instagram | @the_poisoner_play

BIOS

M. M. HANEY (Playwright) is an artist 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 in America and World Connect, a global nonprofit, as well as several tech companies.

LEE SUNDAY EVANS (Director) is a two-time Obie Award-winning Director + Choreographer and the Artistic Director of Waterwell. She most recently directed the acclaimed production of Heather Christian’s Oratorio for Living Things and was just announced as the director of the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. She is developing a TV project for A24. Notable credits include Dance Nation by Clare Barron, the live production of The Courtroom, Detroit Red by Will Power, Sunday by Jack Thorne, In the Green by Grace McLean, Miller, Mississippi by Boo Killebrew, and Home by Geoff Sobelle.

Press Contacts
Uncommon Productions / Anne Phillips / [email protected]
Print Shop PR / Claire Wojciechowski / [email protected]

SOURCE Uncommon Productions; Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc.