Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery

Adapted for the stage by Suzanne Maynard Miller
Based on the Book Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff

Through fabulous storytelling and fast-paced comedy, Ben Franklin and his want-to-be-inventor niece, Sarah, travel to France where they use the Scientific Method to test a mystical man’s magical cure-all in MESMERIZED: A BEN FRANKLIN SCIENCE & HISTORY MYSTERY. Kids will laugh as they engage their minds to solve this mystery, fueled with stories about Ben Franklin’s many scientific discoveries and electrifying inventions.

Regular price $12.00

Quick Details

  • Type: Play
  • Length: 60 minutes
  • Availability: Available for productions worldwide
  • Cast Size: 6 roles

Full Details

Roles:

  • Ben Franklin, 70s, male, white
  • Sarah, 12, female, BIPOC
  • Dr. Franz Mesmer, 40s
  • Ensemble One plays Charles (young assistant to Mesmer), Servant, Doctor, Crowd, and Patient
  • Ensemble Two plays Marie (the Queen), Servant, Doctor, Crowd, Patient
  • Ensemble Three plays King, Doctor, Crowd Patient

The following resources are included in each performance license:
  • Permission to photocopy the PDF script for your production so there is no additional cost for these assets.

Suzanne Maynard Miller

SUZANNE MAYNARD MILLER is an award-winning writer whose work has been seen in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Singapore, Hong Kong, and throughout the UK.

Aside from Mesmerized, other projects include the musical stage adaptation of David McKee’s Elmer (with composer Allison Leyton-Brown); Leo Lionni’s Frederick (with composers Sarah Durkee and Paul Jacobs, “Distinguished Play Award,” American Alliance for Theatre & Education, 2016); and the musical stage adaptation of the popular children’s book series Pete the Cat (with composer Allison Leyton-Brown).

Miller is the Chair of the English Department at the New York City College of Technology/CUNY. In the past, she has taught writing and theater courses at Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and Hunter College/CUNY. In addition, Miller has been an artist-in-residence in the Seattle, Providence, and New York City public schools, and in the Adult Correctional Institution in Rhode Island.

After graduating from University of Pennsylvania, Miller was an original company member of Annex Theater in Seattle, and went on to receive her MFA in playwriting from Brown University.

Originally produced by Chicago Children's Theatre in the 2023-2024 season

Preview the Show

Mesmerized at Chicago Children's Theatre

Reviews

...the play is a romp, with laughs for children and grownups coming from callback audio gags, knowing winks to the audience and plenty of puns.

- Block Club Chicago

There’s a great show about a founding father onstage right now in Chicago who is not named Alexander Hamilton. Mesmerized offers valuable lessons on everything from the scientific method to American and French history … delivered with smarts and empathy.

- Chicago Reader