Danny, King of the Basement" is a play about a young boy named Danny who, after moving frequently with his mother, settles into a new basement apartment where he encounters other children seemingly with more material possessions but also deeper struggles; Danny uses his imaginative play to create a sense of community and help his new friends cope with their challenges, highlighting themes of poverty, friendship, and the power of positivity.

Danny and his mother, Louise, are moving into a new basement apartment. It’s their eighth move in two years because there’s never enough money to pay the rent. Yet despite meager resources, limited grocery money and thread-bare clothes, Danny possesses a surprisingly upbeat outlook on this move and his life.

He immediately befriends apartment neighbors Angelo and Penelope, who are grappling with their own family issues. Penelope is serving as the intermediary in her separated parent’s financial arguments, and she just wants them to reconcile. Angelo is living in fear of his grumpy, unemployed father, yet still craving his approval. Danny introduces both children to the power of imagination, inviting them to escape tough realities by assuming roles in his secret agent game.

When Danny’s illiteracy is brought to light in his new school, he flees in embarrassment. Although his mom admits that she doesn’t know the whereabouts of his absentee father, Danny runs away in search of him, certain that his father is the answer to all his problems. Wandering the streets in the cold of winter without proper clothes, Danny is in serious danger. He lands in the hospital where he realizes what matters most is the love of his mother and the true home and good friends he’s made.