FRANKLIN'S KEY Returns to Philadelphia After Award-Winning Premiere

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

Eastern

Central

Western

West End

WEST END

UK Regional

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

TV/Movies

Music

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

Pig Iron remounts its hit sci-fi adventure June 11 to 28, 2026, at Plays & Players Theatre.

POPULAR

Get all the top news & discounts for Pennsylvania & beyond.

Pig Iron Theatre Company's Barrymore Award-winning production Franklin's Key returns this summer following last year's breakout world premiere. Pig Iron remounts its hit sci-fi adventure June 11 to 28, 2026, at Plays & Players Theatre (1714 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103), an intimate, 220-seat venue.

Get all the top news & discounts for Pennsylvania & beyond.

Set across iconic Philadelphia landmarks and steeped in the city's real scientific legacy, Franklin's Key is an ideal cultural experience as the nation celebrates the Semiquincentennial. The show transforms Philadelphia's history of invention, revolution, and curiosity into a thrilling live adventure, making it a natural fit for theater lovers exploring the city during America's 250th commemoration. Fans of The Goonies, Stranger Things, Harry Potter, and National Treasure will enjoy the artistry and mystery of this thrilling live, immersive stage production. Last year's debut generated strong audience demand, extensive press attention, and praise for its inventive storytelling and visual ingenuity. Broad Street Review called the show “visually mesmerizing,” highlighting its blend of history, science, and myth as “a timely look at who wields power and knowledge.”

Co-Director Dan Rothenberg offers, “This love letter to Philadelphia brings together sci-fi fans, history nerds, and science enthusiasts. We were so delighted to hear audiences say it was the one show that they could bring grandparents and kids to, and nobody felt left out. While the show offers adventure and humor that keeps younger audiences engaged, the intrigue of secret societies and a story rooted deeply in Philadelphia's culture is sure to fascinate audiences of all ages. Our goal is to offer everyone a wild ride that makes history and science surprising and arresting and twisty.”

During the War of Independence, the British feared Benjamin Franklin could control the weather. Franklin's Key asks: What if that were true? A mystery unfolds for audiences in an alternate reality where Franklin's undiscovered technology has been hidden underneath some of Philadelphia's most treasured landmarks for centuries. Set in present-day Philadelphia, Franklin's Key follows two teenage prodigies: Temple (Jameka Monet Wilson), a self-taught scientist, and her brother Arturo ( Alton Alburo ), a gifted musician. The two uncover an ancient mystery, setting off a chain of events that draws them into a secret battle between rival factions seeking to harness the incredible yet volatile powers of Franklin's long-lost technology. Aided by a cast of misfit friends, Temple and Arturo traverse hidden tunnels under the city, leading them from abandoned subway platforms to the iconic statue of William Penn atop City Hall and the building-sized organ inside the old Wanamaker Department Store. With time running out, the team must navigate a labyrinth hidden underneath Philadelphia, evade powerful enemies, and unlock the secrets Franklin left behind before his discoveries fall into the wrong hands.

Almost all of the original Barrymore Award–winning cast returns for Franklin's Key, reuniting the celebrated ensemble that first brought the production to life and earned widespread critical acclaim in Philadelphia. Their return underscores the production's impact and the continued collaboration at the heart of Pig Iron's work.

Two performers lead the production as the story's teen heroes: Philadelphia-based actor Jameka Monet Wilson (The Drag, EgoPo; Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, Strides Collective; The Winter's Tale, Delshakes; Little Women, Hedgerow Theatre Company) and New York-based actor Alton Alburo , most recently seen as Howie in the world premiere of Nic Adams ' NECK DOWN.

The supporting ensemble includes Alice Yorke , who portrays Diane Prentiss, a mysterious historian. Yorke is a Barrymore-nominated, Philadelphia-based actor, director, and producer. Yorke played the lead in Lightning Rod Special 's acclaimed musical The Appointment (NYTW: Next Door; Best of 2019 Theatre, New York Times, New York Magazine, Time Out). New York actor Chris Thorn (Roundabout, Lincoln Center) returns as Bill Fordhook, the crypt-keeper at Franklin's grave. Actor Benjamin Bass (The Woodsman, 59E59 Theaters , NYC; We Own This City, HBO) plays Armantrout and Jimmy, and Izzy Sazak, a Philadelphia-based theatermaker, takes on the dual roles of scientists Persephone Poledoris and Bonnie Jenkins. Sazak's past credits include Pig Iron's Poor Judge (The Wilma, Philadelphia, PA) as well as Pinocchio (The Arden, Philadelphia, PA) and Head Over Heels (Theatre Horizon, Norristown, PA).

Also joining the cast this year is Michael A. Stahler, whose credits include his Off-Broadway debut in Granny Jackson's Dead (Big Telly/Tiny Dynamite/Inis Nua), winner of Best Production at the Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival. He also performed as Jeremiah in SHIP (Azuka Theatre), winner of the American Theatre Critics Associations' New Play Award, and as Sean in the Barrymore Award-winning production, The Playboy of the Western World (Inis Nua Theatre).

The movement ensemble features Makoto Hirano, co-founder of Team Sunshine Performance Corporation; Ben Grinberg , co-artistic director of Almanac Dance Circus Theater; and Gabe Moses, whose regional theatre includes Rent, The Lehman Trilogy (Arden Theatre Company); A Christmas Carol, Illuminating Bayard Rustin (People's Light, Company Member); and Lovesong (Inis Nua Theatre).

Obie Award–winning Special Effects Designer Skylar Fox , known for his work on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway and internationally, brings his boundary-pushing approach to stage magic. His recent credits include Fat Ham (The Public/ National Black Theatre ), Boop! (Broadway), and You Will Get Sick (Roundabout Theatre Company). The production features an original score by award-winning composer Rosie Langabeer, whose collaborators include BalletX (Sunset, o639 Hours) and Pig Iron's Twelfth Night. Fans of Franklin's Key can listen to and purchase the soundtrack HERE .

The design team also includes Set Designer Anna Kiraly (Chekhov Lizardbrain; Pay Up), Tony-nominated Lighting Designer Amith Chandrashaker (Prayer for the French Republic; Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway), Co-Lighting Designer Stoli Stolnack, Video Designers David Tennent (A Period of Animate Existence) and Josh Higgason (BAM, Sufjan Stevens Tour, Spoleto), Sound Designer Chris Sannino (The Wilma, Opera Philadelphia), and Costume Designer Maiko Matsushima (Madame Butterfly, Pittsburgh Opera).

Co-writer Robert Quillen Camp previously wrote the text for Pig Iron's Pay Up and the OBIE-winning Chekhov Lizardbrain, while co-writer and co-director Dan Rothenberg , a founder of Pig Iron Theatre Company, has created more than 30 original works that have toured to 15 countries. Co-director Eva Steinmetz recently was promoted to Co-Artistic Director at Pig Iron; her directing work includes the multi-award-winning Penelope; the acclaimed Poor Judge at Pig Iron/Wilma; and the short film Marina, starring Grace McLean and Peter Friedman .

Franklin's Key runs approximately two hours with a short intermission and is recommended for children ages eight and up. Previews run from June 11 to 14, with an opening, invite-only performance set for Monday, June 15, at 7 p.m.

Ticket prices start at $45, with 20% discounts for patrons 18 and under or 65+, and group discounts are available for parties of 10 or more. Tickets may be purchased now. To book a group of 10 or more people, please email boxoffice@pigiron.org .

Get an Alert Each Time A.A. Cristi Writes

Videos

Philadelphia SHOWS

Recommended For You

Sign up for announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/philadelphia/article/FRANKLINS-KEY-Returns-to-Philadelphia-Following-Award-Winning-World-Premiere-20260609)._