Robert Galinsky's COULD YOU PATENT THE SUN? Comes to the Sirovich Center

Playwright and poet Robert Galinsky will bring his acclaimed new solo work Could You Patent the Sun? to the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living (331 East 12th Street, New York, NY) for a limited series of SIX free community readings this fall. Performances will be held Fridays at 7:00 PM (Nov 21, Dec 12, Jan 16) and Sundays at 4:00 PM (Nov 23, Dec 14, Jan 18). Admission is free and open to the public, in the spirit of Dr. Jonas Salk’s belief that life-saving knowledge, like his polio vaccine, should be accessible to everyone. Reservations are strongly encouraged due to limited seating. http://www.couldyou.eventbrite.com

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 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.”

“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

“I didn’t just watch a reading; I witnessed a keynote that reframed leadership, science, and service for our times.” Anna Carlson, East Village Community Membermm