Flint water crisis takes center stage in thriller coming to Detroit
October 25, 2026 / By Fuad Shalhout / Read on mlilve.com
DETROIT, MI -- A theatrical thriller inspired by the Flint water crisis is coming to Detroit next week, with performances and discussions featuring water justice advocates and journalists.
“The Poisoner,” a 90-minute neo-noir thriller, will be performed Oct. 29–31 at Marygrove Theatre, 8425 W. McNichols Road, marking the final stop of a seven-city national tour.
The fictional story follows a determined journalist who returns to his hometown to investigate water contamination, only to uncover an alleged cover-up involving powerful institutions seeking to keep the truth hidden.
Written by Michigan native and first-time playwright M.M. Haney and directed by two-time Obie Award winner Lee Sunday Evans, the production explores environmental injustice, government accountability and the role of journalism in exposing wrongdoing.
The play draws inspiration from the 2014 Flint water crisis, which exposed thousands of residents to lead-contaminated drinking water and sparked widespread scrutiny of government decisions and public health protections.
“There are parallels across the Midwest with communities wrestling with their own questions about data centers, water, accountability, and who has the power to be part of democratic decision-making processes,” Evans said in a statement. “This is proof the questions in The Poisoner aren’t Flint’s questions alone, but ours collectively.”
The Detroit performances will also feature post-show discussions connecting the play’s themes to ongoing water justice issues in Michigan.
Organizers said Melissa Mays and Nayyirah Shariff of Flint Rising and Sylvia Orduño of the People’s Water Board Coalition are expected to participate in discussions following the Thursday and Friday performances.
Michigan Radio News Director Vince Duffy and journalist Lindsay Smith, creator of the award-winning “Not Safe to Drink” reporting project, are also scheduled to participate, discussing journalism’s role in documenting the Flint water crisis.
To make the production accessible to Flint residents, organizers said two buses will provide free transportation to the Friday, Oct. 30, performance in Detroit.
Residents interested in attending can find additional information at thepoisonerplaybus.rsvpify.com.
The play premiered in 2024 at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Flint water crisis.
Its national tour began in September and includes stops in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Presented by Citizen56 and Uncommon Productions, the Detroit engagement will conclude the tour on Halloween.
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29; 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30; and 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
Tickets and additional information are available at the event’s Eventbrite page.
