REMEMBERING PHIL SOINSKI
aka Benjamin Franklin
In March of 2024, the Printing Museum lost one of its finest treasures, Phil Soinski. For more than 22 years Phil performed our signature character Benjamin Franklin, literally becoming Franklin himself for audiences young and old. Unfortunately, Phil lost his battle to throat cancer and died at home literally a day following his final performance at the Museum for an energetic group of students. Even in his decline over those last few months, Phil managed to keep that theatrical spark that pulled his audience into the magic; he commanded every show he performed and took seriously his unique role to bring the life and legacy of Franklin to life. Phil had that rare ability as an actor to make everyone in his audience believe that they were actually with Ben Franklin himself!
But beyond Benjamin Franklin, Phil was the master director of all things theatrical at the Printing Museum. "The Dickens You Say: A Christmas Carol" was a guest favorite for 10 years at the Museum during our Dickens Holiday Celebration. The play was conceived and written by Phil Soinski, and he performed all the parts as he assumed the role of Dickens retelling his famous carol but also becoming Scrooge and Marley, the ghosts and even the laundry lady! It was a tour-de-force as he involved the audience as well.
His other signature event for the Museum's Independence Day Celebration was his play, "The Confounding Brothers" where Franklin meets Jefferson and Adams in the afterlife to revisit the events surrounding the founding of our country. Phil knew how to both make his audience laugh but also think. Much of this is because he was so well read on a very wide variety of topics.
When Phil was not acting or traveling to schools throughout California and Arizona with our Museum on Wheels program, he was always engaged with our educational programs and tours. With his love of cartooning, he helped us create our annual Krazy Krafts Day, which was really his excuse to show off his cartooning skill and inspire young artists to do the same.
Phil is certainly missed at the Printing Museum!
