Mesmer (Tony Carter, front) wields his magic healing wand for King Louis (Dustin Valenta, back left) while Mesmer’s assistant Charles (Kasey Foster) plays a Glass Armonica in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s electrifying world premiere production, Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

Shawn Pfautsch (right) plays Ben Franklin and Rika Nishikawa is Franklin’s niece, Sarah, in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s electrifying world premiere Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

(front, from left) Shawn Pfautsch plays Ben Franklin, Rika Nishikawa is Ben’s niece, Sarah, (back) Dustin Valenta plays King Louis, Kasey Foster is Charles and China Brickey plays Marie Antoinette in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s electrifying world premiere, Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

(front, from left) Sarah (Rika Nishikawa) and her uncle, Ben Franklin (Shawn Pfautsch), enjoy putting the Scientific Method to the test, much to the delight of King Louis (Dustin Valenta, back) in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s electrifying world premiere, Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

Shawn Pfautsch (front) plays the title role in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s electrifying world premiere Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

Marie Antoinette (China Brickey, center) learns a surprising lesson about the Scientific Method from Ben Franklin (Shawn Pfautsch, left) and Franklin’s niece, Sarah (Rika Nishikawa, right) as King Louis (Dustin Valenta) looks on in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s world premiere Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

Marie Antoinette (China Brickey, center) plays along in an experiment to test Mesmer’s (Tony Carter, right) mysterious wand, witnessed by (rear, from left) King Louis (Dustin Valenta) and Mesmer’s assistant, Charles (Kasey Foster) in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s world premiere Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

Tony Carter (front) plays the mysterious healer, Mesmer, who “mesmerizes” (back, from left) King Louis (Dustin Valenta) and Marie Antoinette (China Brickey), cheered on by his assistant, Charles (Kasey Foster), in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s world premiere Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood

(from left) Dustin Valenta plays King Louis, Rika Nishikawa is Sarah, Shawn Pfautsch plays Ben Franklin, China Brickey is Marie Antoinette, Kasey Foster plays Charles and Tony Carter is Mesmer in Chicago Children’s Theatre’s world premiere Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery. Credit: Charles Osgood