How Shuvendu Sen spotlights the arts in Broadway and Bar Fortunes' | amNewYork

"Dr. Shuvendu Sen's documentary Broadway and Bar Fortunes explores how the arts can help rehabilitate the incarcerated by following and documenting four of his close friends that he made along the way. With a runtime of just 40 minutes, the film invites viewers to connect not only with the people whose stories are being shared, but also highlights the importance of theatre and the arts in helping incarcerated individuals transition back into society as citizens once again."

"He describes his close relationship with New Jersey's former Governor, Jim Mcgreevey. Mcgreevey runs an organization called the New Jersey Re-entry Corporation (NJRC). This organization was designed to help former and current inmates through social and emotional rehab, which was an aspect Dr. Sen fell in love with. His advocacy for the needs of the incarcerated, both outside the prison and coming back into society, came from his desire to help a marginalized group that is often overlooked in America."

"It was through Mcgreevey that Dr. Sen would meet someone important to his life, but an essential figure apart of the documentary, David Rothenberg. Rothenberg is the founder of the Fortune Society, a point that Broadway and Bar Fortunes emphasizes throughout the beginning of the film. From producing the play Fortune and Men's Eyes to a Gothic architectural building in Harlem, Rothenburg provided a home and support for the incarcerated by focusing on something else: theatre."

Broadway and Bar Fortunes follows four formerly incarcerated individuals and highlights theatre's role in rehabilitation and reentry. The film connects the New Jersey Re-entry Corporation (NJRC) and the Fortune Society as organizations offering social and emotional support, weekly meetings, and artistic opportunities. Jim Mcgreevey and David Rothenberg serve as key facilitators linking participants to theatre-based programs and productions like Fortune and Men's Eyes. The documentary emphasizes community, companionship, and arts-driven programming as practical pathways for marginalized people to transition back into society and reclaim civic identity.

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