American Tune

and

The Supremes

A Musical in Development

Book and Lyrics by Shailly Agnihotri

Music by James Bally

"American Tune” channels thirty years of legal experience into participatory theater that confronts audiences with their role in systems of justice and oppression, ultimately asking them to move from passive observers of democratic decay to active participants in its resurrection.

A public defender and a defendant fight for constitutional rights all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supremes - the six women who have served as Justices - transform their case into a battle for the soul of American democracy.

Selections of American Tune

will be presented as

The Supremes.

Poster advertising the International Human Rights Art Festival featuring artwork by Hannah Arendt, scheduled for June 5-7 at The 30th Street Theater, with logos of sponsors including the National Endowment for the Arts, Freedom 250, and other organizations.

Hudson Valley!

SharedSpace@ Wildheart

June 13th! at 7:30

More  here:

Four performers standing on a stage in front of a black background. The man on the far left has long blonde hair and is wearing a black t-shirt and gray pants. Next to him is a woman with a black top and glasses, smiling with her head slightly tilted. The third performer, a man with a shaved head and black shirt, stands with his arms open. The woman on the far right has red hair, a gray shirt, and red shoes, and is smiling while facing slightly to the right.
A promotional poster for a theatrical event titled "The Supremes: A New Musical" with details about the date, time, and performers, and links for ticket purchase. The poster features a beige background, black text, a logo with the words "International Human Rights Art Festival" and "Hannah Arendt 2026" in red, and a partial image of an architectural detail at the bottom.

The Story

A detained immigrant demands his constitutional right to a jury trial instead of accepting a plea deal, leading him and his overworked public defender to visit the Supremes.

A demand for constitutional rights transforms into a satiricaljourney from fluorescent-lit criminal courthouse to the Supreme Court, where they encounter the six women who have served as Justices—appearing as "The Supremes," a  gospel choir of constitutional guardians sharing personal stories like Sotomayor's tribute to her mother in "Celine's Girl."

When the marble courthouse devolves into surreal game show spectacle and an authoritarian Bailiff seizes control, detaining Jones in chains, their fight for individual justice becomes a battle for democracy itself.

In the mystical finale, Jones breaks his chains, and the sparks ignite pieces of the broken courthouse carousel into individual torches that literally illuminate both stage and audience during "We the People"—transforming everyone from passive observers into active participants and revealing that saving one person's constitutional rights means saving democracy itself.

Cast + Creative

Summer 2026 Readings

A woman with long dark hair and a concerned expression, wearing a blue patterned top, indoors with a blue wall behind her.

Shailly Agnihotri

Book and Lyrics
A young man with dark hair and glasses, wearing a gray blazer and white shirt, playing a red electronic keyboard.

James Bally

Composer

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A young woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair, wearing a maroon sleeveless top, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression against a dark blue background.

Marion Avilla

Justice Sotomayor & Priestess of Vesta

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Jones

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A smiling man with short hair wearing a pinkish-brown shirt and a checked collar, standing against a light blue background.

Bilal Walker

A woman with short hair, blue eyes, and freckles, wearing a white top, smiling against a wooden background.

Neva Cockrell

Co-Director

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Close-up of a man with long curly blond hair, blue eyes, a septum piercing, and a beard, wearing a light-colored shirt.

Raphael Sacks

Bailiff, Citizen, & Co-Producer

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A close-up portrait of a young woman with long dark hair, hazel eyes, and pink lipstick, wearing a purple crochet sweater, resting her chin on her hand against a green background.

Miraya Burka

Associate Producer

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Why This Story Now

  • From the Playwright

    "American Tune grew from thirty years watching the promise of American justice collide with its practice. As a prosecutor, senior trial attorney with Legal Aid Society, and Deputy Ombudsperson, I witnessed how systems meant to serve justice could become engines of oppression. But the play's deepest inspiration comes from founding The Restorative Center and facilitating thousands of healing circles, where I discovered that storytelling can transform community crisis into collective healing. American Tune channels this experience into participatory theater that asks audiences to move from passive observers of democratic decay to active participants in its resurrection."

  • Characters

    Lisa - An overworked public defender who transforms from exhausted cog in the system to awakened advocate for democratic renewal

    Jones/José - A detained immigrant defendant who evolves into the embodiment of constitutional history itself

    The Supremes - The six women who have served on the Supreme Court, appearing as both gospel choir and constitutional guardians:

    • Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

    • Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    • Justice Elena Kagan

    • Justice Sonia Sotomayor

    • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

    • Justice Amy Coney Barrett

    The Bailiff - A court officer who transforms into an increasingly menacing authoritarian agent.

  • James Bally - composer

    James Bally is a pianist, singer, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Elizabeth, New Jersey, now based in Brooklyn. James started playing piano at the age of seven and in high school studied at the prestigious Jazz House Kids program led by Christian McBride. James earned a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Piano Performance from William Paterson University in 2024, where he studied with Bill Charlap, Mike LeDonne, and Dr. Carl Bolleia. He has been featured as a bandleader and sideman at jazz venues in the New York City area such as Mezzrow, Brvsh Cul7ur3, Clement’s Place and Dizzy’s Club. He appears on jazz, pop and rock recordings of various artists. James has released his own music with a band called Neptune and the Sailor and released a self-produced solo album of his songs in 2025, called “James Bally”. He also is involved in education, teaching private piano lessons and working as an accompanist/teaching assistant at The New School and Jazz House Kids. James is excited to combine his various musical experiences in jazz, songwriting, and bandleading in American Tune.

    Featured Songs

    • "I Will Defend You" - Lisa's exhausted anthem revealing impossible caseload demands

    • "Cog in the Wheel" - Jones & Lisa's confrontational duet exposing systemic entrapment

    • "The Supremes" - Gospel-choir transformation as Justices evolve from individuals into judicial archetypes

    • "Celine's Girl" - Sotomayor's deeply personal tribute to her mother's sacrifices

    • "There Are Few Things More Sacred" - Kagan's reverent solo about constitutional devotion

    • "In Your Name" - Bailiff's authoritarian reveal while Jones asserts his humanity

    • "We the People" - Participatory finale transforming audience into democratic chorus