Celebrated for its jaw-dropping special effects, imaginative stagecraft, bold costumes, and original score, Pig Iron Theatre Company’s Barrymore Award-winning production Franklin’s Key returns this summer following last year’s breakout world premiere that captivated audiences and critics alike. 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.
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.
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 HERE. To book a group of 10 or more people, please email boxoffice@pigiron.org.
ABOUT PIG IRON THEATRE COMPANY
Pig Iron began as a “dance-clown-theater” ensemble in 1995, and their innovative productions garnered rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then in the burgeoning arts scene of their hometown of Philadelphia. Now, over 25 years later, Pig Iron has emerged as a leader in the movement of alternative theater makers who seek to resituate how audiences encounter performance. The company is at the forefront of the “devised” theater movement, a practice of performance-making in which an ensemble of actor-creators begins its work in the studio rather than from a script. Their work moves between cabaret, sitespecific / immersive theater, and highly choreographed physical and visual spectacles.
Pig Iron collaborates with visionary artists who push the company in new directions. Collaborators have included legendary director Joseph Chaikin; playwright Toshiki Okada; designers Mimi Lien (MacArthur “Genius”) and Machine Dazzle; the Grammywinning choir The Crossing; indie rock outfit Dr. Dog; and filmmaker Josephine Decker. Pig Iron has toured 15 countries on four continents with notable appearances at the Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, the Humana Festival, TR Warszawa, and TPAM (Tokyo), among others. The company has won two OBIE Awards (NYC) and 14 Barrymore Awards, with over 60 nominations in Philadelphia. Learn more at pigiron.org.
