Pig Iron’s FRANKLIN’S KEY Returns To Philadelphia For Nation’s 250th

Pig Iron Theatre Company will remount its Barrymore Award-winning production FRANKLIN’S KEY June 11–28, 2026 at Plays & Players Theatre (1714 Delancey Street). The return engagement follows the show’s 2025 world premiere and coincides with the nation’s Semiquincentennial celebrations.

Set across iconic Philadelphia landmarks, FRANKLIN’S KEY imagines an alternate reality in which Benjamin Franklin secretly developed weather-controlling technology hidden beneath the city. The two-hour production blends theatrical special effects, original music, and devised storytelling in a sci-fi adventure aimed at audiences ages eight and up.

The story follows teenage siblings Temple (Jameka Monet Wilson) and Arturo (Alton Alburo), who uncover Franklin’s long-lost invention and become entangled in a battle between rival factions seeking to control its power. Their journey takes them through imagined tunnels beneath Philadelphia, from abandoned subway platforms to City Hall and the Wanamaker building.

Co-director Dan Rothenberg said the production serves as “a love letter to Philadelphia,” bringing together “sci-fi fans, history nerds, and science enthusiasts” in a story designed to engage audiences of all ages.

Nearly the entire original cast returns for the remount, including Wilson and Alburo, along with Alice Yorke, Chris Thorn, Benjamin Bass, and Izzy Sazak. The movement ensemble features Makoto Hirano, Ben Grinberg, and Devon Sinclair.

The production’s special effects are designed by Obie Award winner Skylar Fox (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), with an original score by Rosie Langabeer. The design team includes Anna Kiraly (sets), Tony nominee Amith Chandrashaker (lighting), Stoli Stolnack (co-lighting), David Tennent and Josh Higgason (video), Chris Sannino (sound), and Maiko Matsushima (costumes).

Previews run June 11–14, with an invite-only opening performance scheduled for June 15 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $45, with discounts available for patrons 18 and under, 65+, and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available at pigiron.org.