Colman Domingo shines in prison drama “Sing Sing”

Incarcerated in Sing Sing Prison for a crime he did not commit, Divine G (Colman Domingo) finds meaning in life by performing in a theater group with other incarcerated men, including a suspicious newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity and the transformative power of art.

The film is called “Sing Sing” and is showing in some local cinemas.

It is based on “The Sing Sing Follies” by John H. Richardson and “Breakin' the Mummy's Code” by Brent Buell and stars Domingo (also as producer), Clarence Maclin, Sean San José, Sean “Dino” Johnson, Jon Adrian “JJ” Velazquez and Paul Raci.

The press release states: “The film is based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program at New York City's Sing Sing Prison and features a cast that includes former inmates and graduates of the program.”

The film's main characters say that over 80 percent of inmates in American prisons have not been convicted of a crime and that because of systemic racism and classism, the language around incarceration places an undue burden on people of color and poor people.

Filmmaker Greg Kwedar looked for things that were done differently in prisons. “Who is doing things differently in prison?” And that led to RTA – a program where the recidivism rate among RTA graduates was less than 5 percent.

Kwedar shared the above items with the film's producer, Clint Bentley, who said, “A lot of people see prison as good material for drama. But we always try to take a world that's interesting in itself, but find a different way into it,” which in this case meant getting rid of the harsh cliches that are too often seen in this setting.

The filmmakers were determined to cast as many of the roles in this film as possible with people who had actually experienced it. This was not just a philosophical decision, but a recognition of the immense talent and pathos of the RTA graduates.

Maclin, a graduate of the program, played an even more important role in the film than writing the screenplay. “They had told me they wanted to make a movie about 'Mummy's Code,' with Brent involved,” he recalls. But when Maclin became involved, Kwedar and Bentley saw something in him. “Divine Eye is a character that is about pure instinct and raw energy,” Kwedar notes, which led her to ask Maclin to play himself in the film. “From the day we met him six years ago, we both thought, 'THAT is a movie star.' He had presence. Instinctively, I just knew he could do it.”

Maclin recalls: “I was thrilled when they offered it to me. I couldn't wait to do it. It was a passion for me.”

Domingo has recently become a celebrated actor, winning many theater awards. In 2023, Domingo played civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in Netflix and Higher Ground's film “Rustin,” for which he received an Oscar nomination, among other awards. He also played “Mister” in “The Color Purple.”

This fall, Domingo will star in the miniseries “The Madness.”