Colman Domingo Leads an Utterly Divine Cast in Sing Sing
DIRECTED BY GREG KWEDAR/2024
Trust the process. This is the mantra repeated consistently through the nearly two-hour run of Sing Sing. It is a phrase meant to relieve the frustrations of the incarcerated theatre cast as they rehearse for their upcoming production. As the group practice lines and walk through dress rehearsal, it is evident that they are putting their trust in each other. These men dance through Roman coliseums, delve into Hamlet, and travel through Egypt all to find a brief escape from their circumstances. Likewise, they offer the audience the same chance to flee from their own reality for a moment.
Colman Domingo takes the reins as Divine G, an innocent man who is imprisoned at Sing Sing, a maximum security prison located in New York. He is one of the founders of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program, which utilizes theatre and dance to establish a sense of community. They are led by their director Brent Buell (Paul Raci) as the group begins preparation to stage their next production. When the issue of auditioning new members is addressed, Divine G and his close friend Mike Mike (Sean San Jose) agree to take a chance on Divine Eye – played by Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin himself. As the new member integrates himself into the group, he begins to upset the unspoken structure of the program.
It is the dichotomy between the two Divines that draws the audience in. From his opening monologue, Domingo absolutely dazzles as Divine G. He is a man who radiates a sense of self-control and is quick with words of compassion. When Divine Eye strolls into the theatre room with a chip on his shoulder and a knife in his waistband, it seems that they two share nothing but a common name. But where director Greg Kwedar could have followed the same old song and dance that audiences are familiar with, he instead pivots in the best way possible. Instead, the Divines build a weary trust and the initial rivalry fizzles almost as soon as it begins. While Divine G coaches Eye into finding strength in their work, Divine Eye forces G to confront his own weak spots.
Maclin is the breakout star of Sing Sing without question. He goes toe-to-toe with Domingo in an equally unflinching powerhouse performance comparable to that of veteran actors. These two men function as the backbone of Sing Sing and their performances are only enhanced by the supporting cast. Paul Raci is the firm leader of this strange troupe that manages to wrangle the variety of distinct personalities he is responsible for. Instead of pulling from Hollywood, Kwedar went straight to the source for the rest of his cast. Majority of the RTA members are played by their real-life counterparts with a few exceptions. This alone adds a raw sense of honesty to each performance, no matter how brief it may be.
Sing Sing carefully toes that invisible separation between reality and fiction up until the credits roll. The film addresses the complexity of prison life but never wallows in it for too long. Kwedar does not agonize over why these men are in place like this because ulitimately this information is irrelevant to the story being told. These are men who understand their situation. They are not seeking to be absolved, nor are they searching for the elusive sensation that is hope. What these men want is a chance to feel human in an environment that seems intent on stripping that away. Considering that the film’s subjects are members of a system that is not recognized for always being just, it would be easy for these actors to express their frustrations. But, as the film itself states, anger is easy. Hurt is harder. By laying itself bare, Sing Sing demands not only our trust, but our admiration for such raw authenticity.