Ben Franklin’s key and kite help unlock the hidden magic of Philadelphia

Historians have spent centuries examining Benjamin Franklin’s groundbreaking inventions, but what if the Founding Father’s biggest discovery remained a secret?

A new play imagines an alternate history where Franklin’s most revolutionary technology has remained hidden under Philadelphia institutions — until a precocious teen inventor and her musically talented brother begin connecting the dots.

Pig Iron Theatre Company’s production of Franklin’s Key, opening at Plays and Players Theatre on June 11, is a mystery adventure in the vein of The Da Vinci Code and National Treasure that sets up a winding journey through clue-finding, puzzle-solving, and illusions to uncover the truth about Franklin’s legacy.

“We’re really interested in the history of science in Philadelphia, and we just got excited about this idea of, ‘What if Ben Franklin learned more about electricity than he let on?’” said coplaywright Robert Quillen Camp, who’s based in Virginia but has worked with Pig Iron for many years.

“How could we take the magic that is really there in Philadelphia, and bring it to life in an exciting way?”

Camp has been developing the script with Pig Iron coartistic director Dan Rothenberg for a family-friendly audience, aiming to reach both kids and adults in a tone evoking 1980s Steven Spielberg films.

At the center are teen detectives Temple (Jameka Monet Wilson) and Arturo (Alton Alburo) in present-day Philadelphia, where the city is experiencing frequent, unexplained blackouts. In one moment of chaos, someone mysteriously steals the 1816 portrait Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

» READ MORE: The British Quaker who challenged Ben Franklin is back at Quintessence Theatre

Franklin’s key and kite (and the painting) become essential parts to solving the mystery. Temple builds a device that harnesses special electromagnetic forces that defy scientific logic, discovering the powerful energy that Franklin had unearthed during his lifetime and kept secret — and learning about the competing groups vying to use that technology for themselves.

In signature Pig Iron style, the production makes use of an ensemble of physical theater actors who use their body movements to tell parts of the story without needing dialogue. Combining those actors — goggle-wearing welders who make up a kind of Greek chorus — with a dynamic set design incorporating video effects and illusions that allow for innovative problem solving.

“Some things get solved with bodies, some things solve with light, and some things get solved with costumes,” said Camp.

The adventure takes Temple and Arturo through landmark sites, from Franklin Square to City Hall to the Wanamaker Building. Though Franklin is, well, key to the story in many ways, you won’t see any impersonator here — instead, the play builds off his outsize imprint in Philadelphia and beyond.

“Franklin’s Key” runs June 5-29 at Plays and Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St., Phila., 267-494-1919 or franklinskey.com