Could You Patent the Sun? 55 Minutes with Jonas Salk (a new solo show)

Friday November 21, 7pm - Sunday November 23, 4pm - FREE EVENT

New York, NY — Playwright/Poet Galinsky brings his acclaimed new solo work Could You Patent the Sun? to the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living (331 East 12th St., NY) for a limited series of FREE community readings this fall. Performances will be held Fridays at 7:00 PM (Nov 21) and Sundays at 4:00 PM (Nov 23).

In the spirit of Dr. Jonas Salk’s belief that life-saving knowledge, like his polio vaccine, should be accessible to everyone: admission is free and open to the public. Reservations are strongly encouraged due to limited seating.

Written and performed by Robert Galinsky and executive produced by Broadway’s Mark Schoenfeld, and Produced by Cory Michael Herman, Could You Patent the Sun? explores the life and legacy of Dr. Jonas Salk, the visionary scientist who developed the polio vaccine and who famously refused to patent it, believing that life-saving knowledge should belong to everyone.

A proud son of New York City, Salk was born in Harlem and grew up in the Bronx, studied at City College, and embodied a distinctly New York blend of grit, intellect, and compassion. His legacy finds a natural home at the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living, part of the Educational Alliance, a historic Lower East Side institution founded over a century ago to serve New York’s Jewish immigrant community. Today, the Sirovich Center continues that mission fostering connection, creativity, and care for all older adults making it the perfect place to honor Salk’s spirit of service and accessibility.

With minimal staging and maximum impact, Galinsky fuses humor, grit, and heart to embody Salk as both a man and a mirror for our times. The 55-minute performance is an intimate theatrical experience that raises timely questions about science, compassion, innovation, and the human spirit:

Who owns knowledge? Who profits from discovery? And what happens when compassion, not profit, drives innovation?

“When Salk said, ‘Could you patent the sun?’ he was speaking against the madness of putting a price tag on human survival,” says Galinsky. “My father, a pharmacist and science teacher, believed knowledge was meant to be shared. My grandfather, born in the same village as Salk’s, knew roots matter. For me, caring for people is the only reason to stand on a stage. This piece is my act of service and my reminder that the light we inherit must never be owned by anyone.” Galinsky

“Your performance was more than a play; it was an encounter. With wit, grit, and heart, you brought Jonas Salk to life and bridged the past with the present in a way that felt both urgent and timeless… This play is not only relevant, it’s necessary.”Cory Michael Herman, Artistic Director, 14th St Y / Sirovich Center for Balanced Living

At its core, Could You Patent the Sun? is not a biography but a moral meditation, a living, breathing reflection of the Jewish principle of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and of New York’s enduring spirit of generosity and ingenuity. Through Salk’s story, Galinsky and the Sirovich Center invite audiences to celebrate a shared belief: that knowledge, kindness, and community are our greatest collective inheritance.

December and January Tickets on sale after Thanksgiving.

Listen here to a short interview with Galinsky on "I Live Here" hosted by Jim Jockle!

Team Bios

ROBERT GALINSKY (Writer/Performer) is a multifaceted director, actor, poet, playwright and founder of GalinskyCoaching.com. He was recently honored with the 2025 Muhammad Ali Face of Compassion in America Award and he serves as a guest lecturer at the Juilliard School of Art. Galinsky has lectured at Yale School of Medicine, Oxford University and he has directed and co-authored more than 50 TEDx Talks. He teaches literacy and theatre at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, Rikers Island Jail, and over a dozen youth detention facilities in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Galinsky made his Off-Broadway debut as both playwright and actor at the Cherry Lane Theater with his acclaimed solo show The Bench, A Homeless Love Story, directed by Jay O. Sanders and executive produced by Terry Schnuck. The play has since been adapted into a feature film, directed by Ron Carlson, scheduled for release in Spring 2026. He also directed and produced the award-winning Off-Broadway solo show Tripping on Life by Lin Shaye (both are available on BroadwayOnDemand.com.) Widely recognized for his unique ability to engage incarcerated individuals through literacy, poetry, and performance, Galinsky also applies these same methods to artists, lawyers, and C-suite executives. Notable clients include 50 Cent, NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, Chelsea Clinton, and fashion icon Winnie Harlow.

MARK SCHOENFELD (Executive Producer) is a songwriter, librettist, and producer. His mother’s struggle with polio brings deep personal resonance to his role as Executive Producer of Could You Patent the Sun?, aligning his career-long advocacy for creativity and compassion with the play’s message of science in service of humanity. Mark is best known as the co-creator of the Broadway musical Brooklyn (BKLYN), which opened at the Plymouth Theatre in 2004 under Jeff Calhoun’s direction and featured Eden Espinosa. The show’s journey, from Schoenfeld writing songs on the streets of Brooklyn to a full Broadway run, reflected his signature mix of unconventional artistry and relentless drive. Over a five-decade career, Schoenfeld has secured five major record-label deals (Capitol, EMI, Manhattan, Razor & Tie, Motown), sold projects to Hollywood studios including Disney, Warner Bros., and DreamWorks, and earned the nickname “the pitchman” for his legendary long-form pitches that led Disney to sign him to a development deal. He continues to develop stage and screen projects, including the animated musical Music Boy with Hugh Jackman. A passionate discoverer of talent, Schoenfeld has mentored artists such as Jodi Katz, Jasmen Hunter, and Nina Dicker.

CORY MICHAEL HERMAN (Producer) serves as Artistic Director at the 14th Street Y, part of the Educational Alliance in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where he designs and oversees arts, culture, and older-adult programs—including intergenerational offerings that connect teens, adults, and elders through performance, movement, and storytelling. He is the founding director of the Alliance Stage Company (2010–present), a senior theater ensemble that develops new work and presents public performances across New York City. Notable initiatives under his leadership include the inaugural Celebrate Arts Festival, staged across five Educational Alliance older-adult sites to spotlight creative aging. His work in creative aging has been profiled by PIX11 News, highlighting classes that bridge generations through the arts. As a director, Herman’s New York credits span The Storm (with Alison Fraser & Sharna Burgess), Mulberry Street, Against All Odds (Mazer Theatre), Curtains Up!, [Im]Perfect Comedy, and Chatterton Country Club. He assisted playwright-director Charles Messina on the Off-Broadway premiere of A Room of My Own (starring Ralph Macchio & Mario Cantone) and on the staged reading of The Wanderer: The Story of Dion. Herman’s current portfolio at the 14Y includes partnerships with the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living and special presentations that foreground access, equity, and community storytelling.