By Elizabeth Howard

Episode Summary

Elizabeth Howard speaks with Dr. Shuvendu Sen—the director and producer of Broadway, Bars & Fortune, a documentary that explores how theater and the arts foster healing and redemption among formerly incarcerated individuals. There are an estimated two million people incarcerated in the United States, within federal and state prisons as well as local jails—the largest number in the world.

The film focuses on the efforts of David Rothenberg, a well-known Broadway theater producer and the organization he founded, The Fortune Society, one of the country’s leading organizations dedicated to working with the formerly incarcerated as they learn to adapt to a life beyond bars.

Episode Notes

Shuvendu Sen, director and producer of Broadway, Bars & Fortune. Photo: courtesy of the artist

Founded in 1967, the Fortune Society works to create a world where those who are currently or formerly incarcerated can thrive as positive, contributing members of society. This is achieved through a holistic, one-stop model of service provision.

The Fortune Society’s continuum of care is designed and delivered by professionals whose cultural backgrounds and life experiences reflect those of the participants. The organization serves thousands of individuals annually through several New York locations—service centers in Long Island City (Queens) and Morrisania (the Bronx), along with housing residences throughout the city. Their program models are recognized both nationally and internationally for their quality and innovation.

Recipient of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by AmeriCorps and the Office of the President of the United States, Shuvendu Sen is a physician, community activist, author, and film personality.

Among his books is the Amazon bestseller Why Buddha Never Had Alzheimer’s: A Holistic Treatment Approach through Meditation, Yoga and the Arts, which received the 2017 Nautilus Award. He recently directed and produced Broadway, Bars & Fortune, a 40-minute documentary that chronicles the experiences of four incarcerated individuals and their triumphant return to life through arts and theater.

“Artists are here to disturb the peace.” James Baldwin

Elizabeth Howard is the host of the Short Fuse Podcast, conversations with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change. Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others. Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015), and Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016). @elizh24 on Instagram

Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of The Short Fuse Podcast. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Kent is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing to full-scale production. We’re thrilled to have Kent on board and look forward to the journey ahead with him.

The Short Fuse is distributed through The Arts Fuse, an online journal dedicated to arts criticism and commentary.

The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters.

The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”

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