Strategic Partnerships Liaison & Senior Grant Writer @ The Fortune Society

The story of The Fortune Society begins with a play. In 1966, Fortune founder David Rothenberg read the script for Fortune and Men’s Eyes by playwright John Herbert. Deeply moved by the author’s depiction of his own traumatic prison experience, David endeavored to take the play Off-Broadway, where it premiered the following year. After each show, the cast held a talkback session to engage the audience in the real-world issues reflected on stage. David realized, however, that one play wouldn’t be enough to remedy just how little the public knew about the criminal justice system. There had to be a platform for people who had experienced incarceration firsthand. There had to be a movement, with the voices and perspectives of these individuals at the center. Thus, in 1967, The Fortune Society was born.