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Yet it鈥檚 the Bard-infused setting for 鈥淪ing Sing,鈥� Greg Kwedar鈥檚 deeply felt and finely acted prison film that stars Oscar-nominated Colman Domingo (鈥淩ustin鈥�) and Paul Raci (鈥淪ound of Metal鈥�), plus a brace of former offenders.

The film聽is compassionate while being cognizant of the convicts鈥� circumstances. These are imperfect people who, as one convict puts it, are struggling 鈥渢o become human again.鈥澛�

The script, by Kwedar and聽Clint Bentley, is inspired by the prison鈥檚 real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, which stages plays behind bars. Many of the film鈥檚 cast are former members of the program.

They include Clarence 鈥淒ivine Eye鈥� Maclin, a drug dealer and the film鈥檚 angry catalyst, who covets the role of Hamlet in an upcoming RTA comedy, 鈥淏reakin鈥� the Mummy鈥檚 Code.鈥�

It鈥檚 a time-travel jape that nods to Shakespeare and a host of classic genre characters, including聽Robin Hood, Captain Hook, Freddy Krueger and a rampaging Egyptian mummy. There are so many characters because the inmates all want their turn in the spotlight.

Divine Eye鈥檚 ambitions put him in competition with a character based on a real person: Domingo鈥檚 John 鈥淒ivine G鈥� Whitfield, the RTA co-founder and chief playwright and its most committed Shakespearean actor. Divine G illustrates his obsession at the film鈥檚 start with a teary-eyed take on lovestruck nobleman Lysander in an RTA production of 鈥淎 Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream.鈥�

The brusque Divine Eye and personable Divine G regard each other with a wariness born of differences and distrust.

Divine Eye is feared by other inmates 鈥� he shows why in a prison yard shakedown over a $500 drug deal 鈥� and his application to join the RTA seems at first like a bad joke until he starts quoting random lines from 鈥淜ing Lear.鈥�

Divine G, who is serving 25 years to life for a murder he didn鈥檛 commit (he has proof), has made many friends in stir by volunteering as an advocate for his fellow inmates. He had understandably assumed the Hamlet role was his.

He鈥檚 flabbergasted and frankly annoyed by this unexpected rivalry. But in the kumbaya spirit of the RTA and the blessing of its get-鈥榚r-done stage director Brent (a wry turn by Raci), Divine Eye鈥檚 desires to tread the boards as Shakespeare鈥檚 existentially embattled Danish prince is taken seriously.

Ramping up Divine G鈥檚 anxieties is an upcoming clemency hearing he鈥檒l soon have with a board that will rule whether or not he deserves freedom. An ardent student of law, he prepares to argue his own case. Divine Eye, meanwhile, regards his own approaching parole board hearing with disdain and fatalism.

But maybe the two aren鈥檛 as dissimilar as they seem 鈥� they鈥檙e both fathers, for one thing 鈥� and Divine G can鈥檛 help but be impressed by Divine Eye鈥檚 commitment to acting.

The action takes place within the claustrophobic confines of the prison (the movie was shot at Sing Sing). It鈥檚 difficult to imagine artists gaining a foothold there. But enthusiasm and enterprise make up for the all-too-evident lack of Broadway polish.

Cinematographer Pat Scola (鈥淎 Quiet Place: Day One鈥�) frequently emphasizes the imposing size of the prison and the physical smallness of the people within it.

Here鈥檚 where the Shakespeare and 鈥淗amlet鈥� connections make the greatest impact. As Divine Eye works at mastering Hamlet鈥檚 self doubts through his famous 鈥淭o be or not to be鈥� speech, he lingers over the line 鈥淭o sleep, perchance to dream.鈥�

Divine Eye treats it literally, not metaphorically. Perchance to dream, in a place like this? 鈥淪ing Sing鈥� makes such reveries seem possible, including dreams of Oscars.