“Clarence Maclin didn’t know he had a knack for acting until he was in prison, where he found the Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program and an appreciation for Shakespeare. His experience provided the inspiration for Sing Sing, where he plays himself in a cast that includes Oscar nominees Colman Domingo and Paul Raci as well as a group of formerly incarcerated men.
I would like to be able to show this in every prison in the country … Sometimes a little bit of hope is all you need.
“‘It almost was overwhelming when I had to go back and put the greens on again and go back into that mindset of being in prison,’ Maclin, 58, said. ‘However the purpose of what we were doing outweighed the apprehension.’
“After working on the idea for years, he loved being on set and said there were ‘no butterflies’ when it came to acting in front of the camera. Domingo, he said, helped him appreciate the nuance that the camera can capture.
“A breakout film from last fall’s Toronto Film Festival, more than a few Sing Sing reviews have called Maclin’s performance starmaking. He’s read them and still can’t believe it. But mostly, he’s excited to take the film on the road and get the message out.
“‘I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but luckily I got an opportunity to redirect and try to correct some of those,’ said Maclin, who was incarcerated for more than 15 years for armed robbery. ‘I would like to be able to show this in every prison in the country and do a question and answer. Sometimes a little bit of hope is all you need.’
“Sing Sing opens in limited release on July 12 and an expansion will follow in August.”
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
We are preparing for our very special 10th anniversary gala in New York City on October 21st, and we would love for you to be there with us.
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By purchasing a $50 streaming ticket, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please plan now to join us in person or give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
Mail that includes checks only:
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, INC
P.O. Box 23681
New York, NY 10087-3681
All other mail:
P.O. Box 1730, New York, NY 10037
347.454.2195
© 2024 JustLeadershipUSA. All Rights Reserved.
JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.