‘Sing Sing’ stars Colman Domingo & Clarence Maclin on why we need more platonic male love on screen
Sing Sing is a “prison drama” unlike any other.Based on the experiences of real men who went through Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) programs while incarcerated, it follows the wrongfully imprisoned Divine G—out actor Colman Domingo, following up his Oscar-nominated work in Rustin—and his cohorts as they stage an ambitious comedy play inside the Sing Sing Correctional Facility.The sensitive and artistic Divine G is usually the star of the show, but this time around he’s sharing the stage with the more hardened prison-yard hustler Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, played by the real-life Maclin himself in a stunning debut screen role.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.Filmmaker Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing is both a stirring testament to the healing powers of art (much of its cast is comprised of RTA alum, and they’re all fantastic), and a welcome antidote to toxic masculinity, shining a spotlight on the tenderness that can be shared between men—particularly Black and brown men.And while neither Maclin nor Domingo’s character is gay, the film makes a point to demonstrate how a rigid perspective on masculinity is weaponized against those who don’t fit those stereotypical standards, whether because of their sexuality or because they have interests in things like art, theater, and dance.Sing Sing has received great acclaim since premiering last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival and now, as it expands to even more theaters across the country on August 23, Queerty sat down with its phenomenal stars to discuss brotherhood, self-expression, and liberation.You can watch our full interview with the stars of Sing Sing above, and read some highlights from the conversation below.“I feel like seeing more images of men, brothers, fathers, sons being vulnerable with one another, holding on to one another—I think it smashes ideas and tropes about who we are out in the world, thinking.
