Joe's Pub Presents SUNNY JAIN'S LOVE FORCE Next Month

Joe's Pub will present Sunny Jain's Love Force, a new theatrical piece in development and inspired by Mohandas Gandhi's concept of satyagraha, on Saturday, January 14 at 9:30 PM. Part of New York Voices, the artist commissioning program at Joe's Pub, this show will be an intimate evening centering on the Punjabi dhol drum, blurring the lines of performer and audience in order to create a collective effervescence. Drawing from cultural tradition and rituals, the performance highlights the inequities of current social structures. Tickets are on sale now here.

Coined by Gandhi in the early 1900s, truth (satya) and firmness (agraha) are acts of nonviolent resistance. Also referred to as truth force, love force, and soul force (as used by Martin Luther King, Jr.), this theory envelopes the oppressor with compassion. Jain is known for his work as a drummer, music director, and bandleader of the beloved band Red Baraat. This show sees Jain striking out into the theater world with intention, as he weaves together storytelling, sonic journeys, and the ethos of Jainism, Leo Tolstoy, B.R. Ambedkar, Martin Luther King, Jr, Audre Lorde, and Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II. While bringing into conversation faith and human compassion, Jain draws parallels between the Indian caste system and the hierarchies of America.

This performance will feature Jain (dhol, drums), Paula Winter (percussion), David Adewumi (trumpet), Kalun Leung (trombone), Shoko Nagai (keyboard, accordion), and Almog Sharvit (bass).

Love Force is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Love Force is funded in part by the MAP Fund and their funding partners, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, along with the Howard Gilman Foundation.

New York Voices is Joe's Pub at The Public's artist commissioning program. As part of The Public Theater's long history of cultivating the country's most celebrated artists, this program supports the creation of new works by critically-acclaimed musicians and performers. New York Voices encourages artists to explore their storytelling, narratives, and songwriting processes and includes a variety of developmental and practical resources. Each commission culminates with a run of live shows on the Joe's Pub stage. The program successfully connects artists with their contemporaries and significantly expands their abilities to reach wider audiences. Many of the commissioned works have toured nationally and internationally. The 2022/2023 commissions are by Bahia Watson & Liza Paul, Chris Pattishall & Vuyo Sotashe, Daniel J. Watts & Nick Blaemire, Sunny Jain, and treya lam.

New York Voices is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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