Sing Sing tells a remarkable true story of a prison theatre program, starring Colman Domingo

The movie "Sing Sing" doesn't showcase typical prison themes like riots, malicious guards, homemade weapons, or escapes. Instead, the film focuses on a different form of "escape": a group of incarcerated men working together to rehearse a play.

This play, titled "Breakin' the Mummy's Code," blends elements of time travel, pirates, gladiators, Freddy Krueger, and Hamlet. The film stars Emmy winner Colman Domingo and features a cast that is over 85% comprised of formerly incarcerated individuals, who are, in a sense, playing versions of themselves. These actors discovered a passion for performance while in prison through participation in the non-profit program Rehabilitation through the Arts (RTA), which was launched in 1995 at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York.

"My fellow actors have said that our film is the first time they’ve ever seen themselves truthfully reflected in a movie about incarcerated people," Domingo stated in an interview with ABC Entertainment. "The Mummy's Code" was written by RTA coordinator Brent Buell, who skillfully combined the various ideas put forth by the participants. Buell said, "People can’t deny that there is violence and trauma in prison every day, but within this little project, they made space for enormous tenderness — they said, ‘We will protect this at all costs.’"

Domingo plays John 'Divine G' Whitfield, a playwright and writer who has served 24 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. In real life, Whitfield was a driving force behind RTA in prison, creating plays, encouraging other actors, and assisting them with parole and clemency cases, helping them envision new futures. "Sing Sing" tells the story of Whitfield’s developing friendship with Clarence 'Divine Eye' Maclin, a tough figure in prison who bullies others but is drawn to the allure of the stage.

Maclin plays himself in the film, and his performance in "Sing Sing" has garnered significant praise, earning him a Best Supporting Actor award at the prestigious Gotham Awards, as well as nominations for Critics Choice, Independent Spirit, and Satellite Awards. In the film, Maclin's defenses gradually crumble as he fights his own desire to show his true self. Small moments, such as the smile that spreads across Maclin’s face after finally delivering Hamlet’s soliloquy—a moment when he is temporarily unguarded and feels safe—are particularly poignant. As he slowly opens up to Whitfield, the project, and himself, he expresses the tenderness he has long suppressed for survival.

Domingo stated, "We never see people making other choices in prison. That’s another thing we need to finally address. Why is violence the only way we know these people?" "Sing Sing" directors Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley learned about the RTA program after Kwedar helped a friend film a prison documentary about inmates paired with rescue dogs. The project challenged his preconceived notions about incarcerated people, leading him to discover "The Sing Sing Follies," a 2005 Esquire magazine article detailing RTA’s production of "Breakin' the Mummy's Code."

The two began volunteering for the program, teaching filmmaking in the prison without technical resources. Participants used ID cards in place of cameras and a cane for a boom mic to simulate filming scenarios. They also collaborated with Maclin and Whitfield to write the script for "Sing Sing" over three years, with both receiving story credit. The duo also wanted RTA alumni to play most of the roles, believing that the film itself should reflect and prove the idea of its story: when people are given opportunities, they will surprise you.

Over three decades, the recidivism rate for RTA participants is only 3%, compared to a recidivism rate of up to 60% for the U.S. prison population within three years of release. Several similar non-profit prison arts programs also exist in Australia, including Victoria's women’s prison program, Somebody's Daughter Theatre Company, which has been running for over 40 years, and the Bell Shakespeare Company’s “Juvenile Justice” program. Domingo believes RTA’s success demonstrates the power of art as a creative and emotional outlet.

Domingo said, "What does it do to a person when you’re able to care about something, to love and nurture something? You gain tools you may have never had that connect you to your humanity and understanding of how you make other people feel? There are multiple ways we can rethink how we engage with those who are incarcerated." "Sing Sing" is a prison film with a unique cinematic feel: it is located less than 50 kilometers north of midtown Manhattan, overlooking the Hudson River, with a railway line bisecting it and the constant sound of trains reminding one of the outside world.

Since the prison is still operational, the film only shot exterior shots of the facility, with most filming taking place at the recently decommissioned Downstate Correctional Facility. Domingo said that the space was unlike anything he had ever experienced. "The first thing you feel is the air quality, the feeling that the air isn’t moving," he said. "It feels heavy. I could never find true north. I got lost all the time because it was designed that way. It’s a maze. Every corner looks the same, every hallway looks the same. It’s designed to keep you trapped. For me, I started thinking, ‘What does that do psychologically?’ Psychologically, it's a breakdown, not a rebuild or a rehabilitation."

There is very little light. "You start thinking, what does that mean for a human being? It feels more like punishment than rehabilitation. There’s no space for you to become different." RTA and other arts programs offer something different, and "Sing Sing" directly showcases this through rehearsal scenes, most of which were improvised and filmed using a Steadicam, giving it a documentary feel. Kwedar and Bentley only provided prompts for these scenes, giving the formerly incarcerated actors the space to speak and perform in their own words.

Many of the most memorable scenes in "Sing Sing" are the simplest, with the actors sitting in a circle sharing parts of their real stories in their own words—not necessarily their convictions, but their hopes, fears, and regrets. Domingo said, "I think what’s so compelling is that we don’t know the backstories of a lot of the characters. We don’t know what got them there, and that’s a great way into the story. We’re dealing with these men where they are today." Additionally, all actors and crew, including Domingo, received the same daily SAG-AFTRA rate: from Domingo to production assistants. The film also employs an equity model, meaning that every actor and crew member will receive a proportional share of the film’s profits based on their days worked.

Domingo said that this model, rare in film, changed how everyone worked on set, from producers cleaning toilets to people actively trying to lower production costs. "When the film succeeds, we all succeed," he said. "It seems so simple, doesn’t it? … It made everyone feel like this was our film." "Sing Sing" is scheduled for theatrical release on January 16.