“Sing Sing” Puts a Prison Theatre Program in the Spotlight

The walls of Divine G’s cell, covered with documents, photographs, and sticky notes, are evidence of a term spent in thrall to the written word. While serving out his sentence—twenty-five years to life for a murder that he didn’t commit—Divine G has devoted much of his time to studying law, researching his case and those of other incarcerated men, and seeking solutions that might expedite their release. He has also written several novels and plays, which have earned him a measure of fame among his peers; some of his plays have even been staged by R.T.A., of which he is a founding member. One of the many grace notes of Domingo’s performance is that, beneath Divine G’s warm modesty, we discern a glimmer of pride in his position as the prison’s resident literary titan and legal expert. The movie does not begrudge him his self-importance.