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Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia

Sasha Productions

October 22-November 15, 2009

Avg. Event Rating (4.8 Stars): Add Review/Comment

Local playwright, actor and director David Lewis is starring as Ben Franklin in the Valley premiere of a new play, Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin’s most remarkable invention was himself. The tenth son of a candle-maker, he found fame and fortune as a writer, entrepreneur, politician, scientist, and diplomat. But he remained at heart a simple tradesman. He favored practical solutions over complicated theories and he firmly believed in the necessity of compromise. Throughout his life Franklin embodied what we think of as the core “American” values: hard work and self-reliance, common sense and thrift, tolerance and compassion. In this spirit, Poor Richard can be read as a primer for building and sustaining a middle class. And a vital middleclass has helped stabilize the extremes in our society ever since. With his strong mind and quick wit, he was just as comfortable in the royal courts of Europe as he was in his local tavern. Lewis, an Arizona native, has been involved in the theater, off and on, as an actor, director and writer, for more than thirty years.

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• Ticket Info

  Tickets: $23.00 Adults (Online)
  $15.00 Students (Online)
  $28.00 General Admission (At the Door)

  Info Phone: (602) 254-2151

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• Dates & Times

  Dates:
  October 22-November 15, 2009

  Times:
  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 7:30pm
  Sunday 2:00pm

• Venue Info

  Playhouse on the Park

  1850 North Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85004

  Full map and directions

• Locations

  Phoenix

  Downtown Phoenix

• Parking Info

  Parking is adjacent to the theatre entrance and is only accessible from Palm Lane on the North side of the building.

• Accessibility Info

• NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

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  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "Thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating"
    Review posted by: Richard Sedowski from Phoenix, AZ, Nov 07, 2009
    

    WOW! The best way to study history. Fantastic job by David Lewis. What a writing and acting talent he is. Can't wait for his next endeavour, but this one will be hard to top. PLEASE go see it.... Expand

    WOW! The best way to study history. Fantastic job by David Lewis. What a writing and acting talent he is. Can't wait for his next endeavour, but this one will be hard to top. PLEASE go see it. Hopefully, it can be brought into the schools, or, better yet, the students brought into the theater. Collapse

  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "History brought to life"
    Review posted by: Jeff and Ann from Phoenix, AZ, Nov 07, 2009
    

    Amazing one-man performance by David Lewis portraying the life of Ben Franklin. We were reminded of historical facts and learned more about his life and family. Viad Theater was a great intimate... Expand

    Amazing one-man performance by David Lewis portraying the life of Ben Franklin. We were reminded of historical facts and learned more about his life and family. Viad Theater was a great intimate setting for this presentation. Collapse

  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "Spectacular!"
    Review posted by: Voice Dancer from Phoenix, AZ , Nov 03, 2009
    

    After recently reading Mr. Franklin's autobiography, this splendid performance brought his memoir's to life. David Lewis gave an amazing performance, in perfect character, with complete recall in the... Expand

    After recently reading Mr. Franklin's autobiography, this splendid performance brought his memoir's to life. David Lewis gave an amazing performance, in perfect character, with complete recall in the monologue. A true artist on the stage. You MUST see this performance! Collapse

  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "Masterful Presentation of"
    Review posted by: B. J. Campbell from El Mirage, Arizona, Nov 01, 2009
    

    It was a marvelous first person (one man) historical presentation of Benjamin Franklin as he recalled for us his lifetime ventures and adventures, filled with abundant history of the time, as well as... Expand

    It was a marvelous first person (one man) historical presentation of Benjamin Franklin as he recalled for us his lifetime ventures and adventures, filled with abundant history of the time, as well as a lot of fun trivia. Collapse

  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "Great stuff!"
    Review posted by: Dana from Surprise AZ, Oct 30, 2009
    

    Attended the 29/10 performance and was thoroughly impressed with story, lines & acting. Mr. Lewis was excellent. He was completely able to hold my interest by himself for the entire play. Sad how so... Expand

    Attended the 29/10 performance and was thoroughly impressed with story, lines & acting. Mr. Lewis was excellent. He was completely able to hold my interest by himself for the entire play. Sad how so many of Mr. Franklin's observations are still apropro for our country today. Small criticism is the length, perhaps 20-30 minutes shorter would have been perfect. Plan to return with my teenage son. Collapse

  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "History well portrait"
    Review posted by: George and Dagmar Prigatano from Phoenix, AZ, Oct 27, 2009
    

    David Lewis' performance is excellent, the play riveting and intellectually stimulating. Well deserving of the community's support.

    David Lewis' performance is excellent, the play riveting and intellectually stimulating. Well deserving of the community's support.

  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "So Good I May Have to See it Again!"
    Review posted by: Kai from Chandler, AZ , Oct 26, 2009
    

    My wife and I attended the 10/24 performance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Strong script with a great combination of biographical/historical information and Franklin-esque adages and witticisms. I... Expand

    My wife and I attended the 10/24 performance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Strong script with a great combination of biographical/historical information and Franklin-esque adages and witticisms. I enjoyed Franklin pondering historical dilemmas as much as I enjoyed him discussing his more personal details and problems. I was surprised by the amount of times I laughed (courtesy of Franklin's incisive wit, especially seen in 'Poor Richard'). Definitely worth seeing; am considering attending a second show myself. Collapse

  • Event Name: Mr. Franklin of Philadelphia
    "David Lewis Brings Franklin to Life"
    Review posted by: L. Brooke from Phoenix, AZ, Oct 25, 2009
    

    Although not much of a history buff myself, I was more than impressed with Lewis' portrayal of Benjamin Franklin. The play was informative and entertaining, and the standing ovation speaks most... Expand

    Although not much of a history buff myself, I was more than impressed with Lewis' portrayal of Benjamin Franklin. The play was informative and entertaining, and the standing ovation speaks most clearly to the audience's sentiment. If you like history or biographies, you'll love this play! Collapse

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