Created & Presented by
Pig Iron Theatre Company
at Plays and Players Theatre
Learn more about the show and buy tickets here.
Coming in June from Pig Iron Theatre Company: a thrilling, family-friendly sci-fi adventure where science and magic collide.
During the War of Independence, the British feared that Benjamin Franklin could control the weather. But what if that were true? In an alternate universe where Benjamin Franklin’s undiscovered technology has been hidden for centuries underneath Philadelphia’s landmarks, a mystery is unfolding. Set amid iconic Philly landmarks, Franklin’s Key follows two high school prodigies—Temple, a self-taught scientist, and her brother Arturo, a brilliant musician—who must race to protect Franklin’s hidden technology from shadowy forces.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Franklin’s Key blends the city’s rich history with larger-than-life characters, sharply choreographed object transformation, and breathtaking stage illusions by Skylar Fox (Broadway’s Harry Potter, Back to the Future) to create a pulse-pounding, brainy delight of a show. Pig Iron’s work has been called “inventive” for two decades—now we celebrate Philadelphia’s history of invention with a visually stunning production that transforms our hometown into a tapestry of puzzles to be unlocked by adventurous theatergoers.
Co-writers Dan Rothenberg and Robert Quillen Camp (Pay Up, Chekhov Lizardbrain) weave echoes of Stranger Things and National Treasure into this love letter to Philadelphia. Historic landmarks like the Museum of Art, City Hall, Christ Church Burial Ground, and the Wanamaker Organ become portals to adventure in this intricate and delightful play for adults and children (8+).