Franklin Stage Company Opens Twenty-Ninth Season With Comedy, Kimberly Akimbo

FRANKLIN — Franklin Stage Company, Delaware County’s admission-free, professional theater, will present David Lindsay-Abaire’s award-winning comic play Kimberly Akimbo, July 4–20 at Chapel Hall, in Franklin.

Kimberly Akimbo, a play for 5 actors, tells the story of teenager Kimberly Levaco who suffers from a rare condition causing her to age rapidly, making her appear much older than her actual years; as a result, she navigates the challenges of adolescence, including dealing with her rather dysfunctional family while trapped in the body of an elderly woman, ultimately finding a connection with a fellow outsider at school, all while confronting the reality of her shortened life expectancy. “We’re thrilled to bring this hilarious and poignant comedy to our stage” said FSC Artistic Director Patricia Buckley. “It’s a zany play about a very serious topic, and David Lindsay-Abaire has created a hero for young and old in the character of Kimberly.” Written in 2000, Lindsay-Abaire later turned this play into the 2023 Tony-award winning musical of the same name.

Kimberly Akimbo is a play about how to make the most of life in easy and tough times. Chris O’Connor, who directed FSC’s 2023 production of Good People, will helm the project. “I’m excited to stage this rich comedy with an incredibly talented cast,” said O’Connor. “FSC’s programming always makes for great summer theater. We’re so lucky to have the Franklin Stage Company here in Delaware County producing wonderful plays like this.”

The Franklin Stage Company season runs through August 24 at Chapel Hall, 25 Institute Street in Franklin, NY. Please note all evening shows have a curtain time of 7:30 pm. Kimberly Akimbo will also have Saturday matinees at 3:00 pm, and Sunday shows at 5:00 pm. General Seating. Admission is free—suggested donation is $25 per person.

For more information and reservations, visit www.franklinstagecompany.org. Programming at the Franklin Stage Company is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

FRANKLIN STAGE COMPANY's dual mission is to produce professional, admission-free theater that brings together audiences and artists to create community and celebrate the enduring power of stories; and to ensure the preservation of Chapel Hall, our historic home, as both an architectural treasure and a center of community activity.

Franklin Stage Company is a professional Actors Equity, not-for-profit theater founded in 1997 in Franklin, NY. FSC is dedicated to producing classic and new plays that stimulate thought and provoke discussion to illuminate as well as entertain. FSC also presents both emerging and established artists working in a variety of performance disciplines. The company was founded on the principle that great theater should be accessible to all.