Robert Galinsky's COULD YOU PATENT THE SUN? is Coming to Westchester Community for Ethical Culture
The performance will take place on Sunday, October 26, 11:00 am–12:00 pm.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 07, 2025
New York City playwright-poet Robert Galinsky will bring his acclaimed solo theatrical reading Could You Patent the Sun? to the Westchester Community for Ethical Culture on Sunday, October 26, 11:00 am–12:00 pm. This event is FREE and open to the public, but reservations are strongly suggested due to limited seating.
Written and performed by Galinsky and executive produced by Broadway’s Mark Schoenfeld, Could You Patent the Sun? explores the life and legacy of Dr. Jonas Salk, the visionary scientist who developed the polio vaccine and famously refused to patent it, declaring instead: “Could you patent the sun?”
With minimal staging and maximum impact, Galinsky blends humor, grit, and heart to embody Salk as both a man and a mirror for our times. The 45-minute performance is an intimate encounter that asks urgent 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. My father, who was a pharmacist and science teacher, knew knowledge was meant to be shared. My grandfather, born in the same village as Salk’s, knew roots matter. And for me, I believe that 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!” Robert Galinsky
Could You Patent the Sun? is not a hushed museum piece, but a living, breathing reminder of the humanity behind scientific discovery. At its heart is the Jewish principle of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, and the conviction that life-saving knowledge, like sunlight, belongs to everyone.
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