close
close

The emotional true story behind the prison drama

play

In 2005, the greatest play you have ever seen was performed in a maximum security prison.

“Breakin' the Mummy's Code” was the brainchild of Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), a theater program for incarcerated men at New York's Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The original musical was written and performed entirely by the group that played gladiators, mummies, cowboys and pirates in the brilliant time-travel musical.

“We didn't really have many reasons to smile during the day,” says Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, who played Hamlet and Robin Hood in the production. “Coming together in those moments – and seeing everyone let their guard down and be silly – those are the great moments I remember about the creation of this special play.”

Join our watch party! Sign up to get USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations delivered straight to your inbox

The musical's idea now serves as the backdrop for “Sing Sing” (in theaters nationwide Friday), a stirring new film starring Colman Domingo as the real John “Divine G” Whitfield, who spent nearly 25 years behind bars for a wrongful murder conviction. The film chronicles Whitfield's decades-long fight for clemency and his involvement with RTA.

Director and co-writer Greg Kwedar learned about the program through a Google search and came across a 2005 Esquire article by John H. Richardson titled “The Sing Sing Follies.” He was immediately intrigued by the stark contrast between prison life and the madness of “Mummy's Code.”

“There was something about the playfulness of the work itself, in contrast to the environment in which it was created, that felt like a complete human experience,” says Kwedar. “It was joyful; it was the energy that was in it.”

“Returning there was a great trauma”

Aside from a few professional actors, including Paul Raci (“The Sound of Metal”), the film's cast consists almost entirely of former prisoners. Sean “Dino” Johnson served 15 years in Sing Sing for drug offenses and was released in 2004. He was a founding member of the RTA and seized the opportunity to prove his acting skills again.

“I've been at home for 20 years now and I had to pay the bills. I didn't have time to live my dream and work as an actor,” says Johnson. “When Greg offered me this opportunity, I thought, 'You know what? Now is the perfect time.'”

For Maclin, it was also “a no-brainer.” He served 17 years in Sing Sing for robbery and was released in 2012. Since then, he says, RTA has been approached about many film and television projects, but none of them have felt “real.”

“Every time we spoke to someone, you got the feeling they were trying to take advantage of us,” says Maclin. “They just wanted to be able to say they had helped some poor prisoners so they could go home and sleep well at night.” But he didn't get that feeling with Kwedar and his co-author Clint Bentley: “They were serious about their efforts and their goals.”

Both Maclin and Whitfield were credited as story writers on the film and helped ensure the dialogue was authentic to a prison setting. Kwedar also hired a therapist on set in case any of the men felt provoked during production. (The film was shot at the Downstate Correctional Facility, where many of the cast passed through on their way to Sing Sing.)

“There was a lot of apprehension,” says Maclin. “Nobody wants to voluntarily return to the same prison where they were held, let alone wear the same prison garb that identifies you as state property. But we understood that the purpose of what we are doing outweighs any bad feelings we may have.”

For Johnson, “it was a huge trauma to go back to that place: the walls, the smell, the stale air. It just brought everything back. But I knew there was a difference: Years ago, I didn't care how a green (state uniform) fit me. But this time, I thought, 'You know what? Let me find one that looks good on me.' (Laughs.) My whole attitude was, 'This is a choice. This is not an obligation. This is not a punishment. The doors are open and I can leave at any time.'”

“This is much more than a bucket list”

The cast and crew supported each other during the often emotional shoot. (“They've gotten used to seeing me cry,” jokes Kwedar.) That bond is evident as they promote the critically acclaimed film, which several Oscar experts have already declared an early favorite for Best Picture. Maclin is also predicted to earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his remarkable film debut.

“As far as nominations and Oscars go, I think Colman Domingo deserves it much more,” Maclin modestly evades, before Kwedar steps in with praise for the entire ensemble.

“It's strange to think about individual awards for such a collaborative process,” says the filmmaker. “It's something you have to reckon with over time – we all want to celebrate each other and not forget that a tremendous amount of personal work has gone into it in all areas.”

Both Maclin and Johnson want to continue acting and have a long list of Hollywood stars they would like to work with: Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock among them. Their dream project is a remake of “The Dirty Dozen” with other RTA alumni.

When “Sing Sing” premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last fall, Maclin was “blown away” by how much audiences could relate to her story. For the first time, an acting career felt truly attainable: “When they stood up, I realized this is much more than a bucket list.”

Johnson was also encouraged by the warm embrace. “For so many years we've been taught to think that the world doesn't care about ex-convicts,” he says. But ultimately, this is a film “about people. We all go through things. The human spirit is so strong and we all have our limitations.”

You may also like...