Video: SING SING Theatre Program Spotlighted on CBS Sunday Morning

Sing Sing, the acclaimed new film starring Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin was inspired by a theater program at New York's notorious Sing Sing prison. Called Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), the program has made a real impact on those involved.

CBS Sunday Morning senior correspondent Ted Koppel visited the theater program at Sing Sing with a few of the formerly incarcerated (who make up most of the cast of the film) to talk about how acting truly changed their lives. 

During the segment, Maclin and Divine G Whitfield (the man played by Domingo in the film) engage in warmups with current members of RTA. "It's definitely about communication, about eye contact," Maclin said of the warmup. "We use that particular exercise so that, when we're onstage, we try not to step over everybody's lines. So, you gotta pay attention."

Brent Buell, a playwright and longtime RTA volunteer, was also interviewed for the segment, discussing how the program is beneficial for those who are incarcerated. "Little by little... getting into the character [is a] first step in empathy." 

The Sing Sing film has been honored with several award nominations and wins, including the Critics Choice Awards, the Gothams, and a Golden Globe nomination for Domingo. In the movie, Domingo plays Divine G, a man imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit. He finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including a wary newcomer (Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. Directed by Greg Kwedar, the inspiring true story also features Academy Award nominee Paul Raci.

Having received a theatrical release earlier this year, it will be returning to theaters on January 17, 2025.