Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.
Content Advisory:
Prisoners rehabilitate themselves as members of a theatre program in Sing Sing. John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo) is a prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and a founding member of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre program at the prison. Before their latest production directed by Brent Buell (Paul Raci), the RTA brings on new member Divine Eye (Clarence Maclin). Divine G helps Divine Eye with not only the production but also with his upcoming parole hearing.
Sing Sing Synopsis
Sing Sing is a biographical drama directed by Greg Kwedar. The film stars Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo (Selma, Rustin, Drive-Away Dolls) as John “Divine G” Whitfield, an actor and writer falsely imprisoned in Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Along with his close confidant Mike Mike (Sean San José), Divine G is a member of the RTA, a theatre program that helps with rehabilitation within the prison. Most of the members of the RTA in the film are played by the actual prisoners. This includes Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin in his feature film debut.
My Thoughts on Sing Sing
There is a scene early on in Sing Sing where Colman Domingo’s protagonist John “Divine G” Whitfield is approached by another Sing Sing prisoner for an autograph. It wasn’t until the closing credits of the film that I realized that this was a cameo by the real Divine G, whose story the film is based on. Domingo is one of the few actual actors in the film’s cast, which also includes theatre actor Sean San José as Mike Mike and Academy-Award-nominated Paul Raci (Sound of Metal) as RTA director Brent Buell.
By filming in Sing Sing Correctional Facility and utilizing real prisoners in the cast, Sing Sing provides a very authentic look at life on the inside. The Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre program is a way for these prisoners to find solace in their predicament or as stated at one point by one of the RTA members, they’re “here to become human again.”
The core dramatic plot thread of Sing Sing is the rivalry and later friendship that develops between Divine G and Divine Eye. Divine G has been preparing for a Clemency Hearing to prove his innocence and at the same time, he takes it upon himself to help Divine Eye with an upcoming parole hearing. Clarence Maclin does an excellent job of playing a fictionalized version of himself, who tries to escape from the institutionalized belief that prison is the only place where he belongs.
Altogether, Sing Sing is a film that sets out to show the human face of life inside prison. These men are not defined by the crimes that they have committed and the RTA allows them to restore their sense of humanity. This is indeed a film for the human spirit.