OSSINING, N.Y. (AP) 鈥� Clarence 鈥淒ivine Eye鈥� Maclin is standing inside for the first time since he was incarcerated here 12 years ago. In this very chapel, he reminisces, he once sold drugs 鈥� a backup plan for when the yard was closed.
Not many men pine to return to the prisons in which they toiled away years of their life. Maclin, 58, lived inside Sing Sing for 15 years. But on this day, he's buoyant.
鈥淚 got a purpose now,鈥� Maclin says.
Maclin was at Sing Sing, the 198-year-old maximum-security prison perched on a hillside overlooking the Hudson 30 miles upriver from New York City, last Thursday for the premiere of the upcoming movie 鈥淪ing Sing." In the film, which opens July 12 in theaters, stars as an incarcerated man who helps lead a theater program for others at Sing Sing. Together, they find community and catharsis through theater.
The program is real: , or RTA, is a nonprofit founded by Katherine Vockins at Sing Sing in 1996. Many of its former participants make up the cast of 鈥淪ing Sing鈥� alongside professional actors like Domingo and Paul Raci. 鈥� a hard, muscle-bound character whose talent for shake-downs in the yard, it turns out, transfers remarkably well to Shakespeare.
鈥淥n stage,鈥� Maclin says, 鈥淚 got permission to do anything.鈥�
As movie premieres go, the one for 鈥淪ing Sing鈥� at Sing Sing was about as poignant as it gets. The film was screened above the stage where RTA performed its first show for an audience half civilian, half incarcerated men in navy green jumpsuits. For the formerly incarcerated actors in the film, returning to Sing Sing was an emotional homecoming. They brought a message of hope and healing that they, themselves, are still trying to live up to.
Plaques outside the walls of Sing Sing 鈥� a high-walled citadel of incarceration beside which trains carrying commuters pass regularly 鈥� tout its rich history. This is where phrases long ubiquitous in movies 鈥� 鈥淯p the river," 鈥渢he Big House鈥� 鈥� come from. Historically, Sing Sing 鈥� where, among many others, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed 鈥� has loomed in the public imagination more as a symbol of harsh, Victorian age-style punishment than soulful rehabilitation.
On a sweltering day with the sun still high above the Hudson, two former RTA members 鈥� Lorenzo Chambers, 33, and Jose Robles, 64 鈥� stood outside the prison walls, handing out water bottles. In his 35-plus years in prison, Robles first began building sets for RTA productions and then became a performer.
鈥淵ou learn more about yourself than you do the play, you know?鈥� says Robles.
Inside the first gate, Sean Dino Johnson, a founding member of RTA and a co-star in 鈥淪ing Sing,鈥� sits in the shade, cringing a little each time the gate opened and closed. Johnson, 59, served 22 years in prison. When he was first approached about RTA nearly two decades ago, he was a tad skeptical.
鈥淚 said, 鈥榊ou want me to get up there in tights and do 鈥楾o be or not to be鈥�?鈥� recalls Johnson, grinning. 鈥淲here鈥檚 the punchline at?鈥�
But Johnson, despite his doubts, gave it a go and soon found that he had 鈥済ot the bug.鈥� Looking inward as an actor brought him an inner peace that had previously eluded him.
鈥淭hat was my first understanding of what a community is,鈥� says Johnson as he makes his way up the hill to the theater.
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While the cast members and others mill about in the chapel, the film鈥檚 director and co-writer, Greg Kwedar, eyes the next-door theater nervously. 鈥淪ing Sing鈥� was largely shot at a decommissioned prison upstate, so this was a moment he had long awaited.
鈥淚鈥檝e imagined what this theater would look like for eight years,鈥� Kwedar says. 鈥淭his is the most important audience in the world for us. I just hope it's honest."
"When we walk out of here, I hope the air feels a little different for those of us who are going home,鈥� adds Kwedar. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 highly aware that half of the audience will be going back to their cells.鈥�
Since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, 鈥淪ing Sing鈥� has been widely celebrated. A24 acquired it soon after its premiere. In March, it won the festival favorite audience award at SXSW.
The emotional response 鈥淪ing Sing鈥� provokes runs two ways, eradicating some of the divisions that exist between those on the inside and those on the outside. For the RTA alumni, it鈥檚 a rare platform to show that what they鈥檙e capable of. For civilians less acquainted with the oft-ignored lives of the incarcerated, it鈥檚 a window into their humanity.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 feel as separated from the world,鈥� says Shaytuan Breazil, a 32-year-old serving a 12-year sentence who was helping to serve snacks for visitors.
When RTA started, performances were only for fellow incarcerated men. Its leaders, like director Brent Buell (played by Raci in the film), would make videotapes for their families to see. What began with modest expectations grew and grew. 鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 come up here and direct 鈥� I love directing,鈥� says Buell. 鈥淚 had no idea I would come in and make the friendships of my life.鈥�
More than 1,000 people have since passed through RTA, which is now in eight prison facilities. It plans to expand to two more in September. The U.S. Department of Justice has found that within one year of release, 43% of formerly incarcerated people are rearrested. Among RTA alumni, that number is less than 3%.
served more than 23 years in Sing Sing before he was granted clemency for his wrongful conviction by former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He has worked closely with RTA and appears in 鈥淪ing Sing.鈥�
鈥淭he most effective way to change somebody,鈥� says Velazquez, 鈥渋s to believe in them.鈥�
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Inside the un-air conditioned theater, old stained glass windows had been blacked out. Guards sat in elevated chairs along the walls. The former incarcerated men warmly greeted those currently serving across the aisle. It was the third screening that day at Sing Sing, whose warden, Marlyn Kopp, said she wanted the whole population to see it. (The first two screenings were for incarcerated people only.)
After sitting in a row toward the back, Maclin was urged to take a seat in the front row. 鈥淚鈥檓 moving up,鈥� he says as he bounded to the front. There were old acquaintances Maclin wanted to see at Sing Sing but, he said before the screening, it was more important that the incarcerated men saw him, to realize what life after prison could hold.
When the movie was over, the incarcerated audience appeared visibly moved and stood in a standing ovation. They stood again just to applaud A24. Their biggest cheers weren鈥檛 for Domingo but those who had been jailed alongside them. After the film, Maclin and Johnson spoke on stage with a pair of currently incarcerated men who shared their emotional reaction.
鈥淚鈥檓 home,鈥� Maclin said. 鈥淏ack home on my stage.鈥�
Maclin and Johnson faced their chairs toward those incarcerated and addressed most of their comments directly to them. Whatever one might think normally is discussed inside prison walls would be startled at the tenor of the conversation. Acting, Maclin said, taught him that vulnerability and empathy weren鈥檛 weaknesses but strengths. Johnson spoke of listening, the importance of crying and of love. Keep working, he implored. 鈥淢en can change,鈥� he said.
Soon, curfew would be called and the men of B Block would file out first. But for now, many heads nodded in agreement at Johnson's words. They didn鈥檛 have much, Johnson told them, but they have each other. And for RTA members when they get out, alums would be there with a ride, some help and maybe a few dollars for their pocket.
鈥淭his was Sing Sing鈥檚 best kept secret,鈥� said Johnson. 鈥淣ow, the world鈥檚 gonna know.鈥�
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
