Around Spring, 2005, Geoff Nelson approached me and said, “So, how about Elijah Pierce…a one-man show?” I said, “Of course.” I was familiar with Mr. Pierce’s art and got excited by the idea of learning and writing about his life.

The challenges of writing a one-person play involve energy and interaction. One person talking to an audience for 1 to 2 hours is a major creative challenge. The solo actor must tell compelling stories, embody other characters, engage the audience as a major character and maintain a steady tension. A solo show creates opportunities to break the fourth wall. In a multi-character play, each role is developed with distinct qualities and motivations; each character bears responsibility for creating the world of the play. Other problems include figuring out why we're here and why the character is talking to us and how to tell one man's story without resorting to a dry recitation of facts. With Pierce to the Soul, I’ve attempted to create a succession of scenarios that draw the audience into the action – with humor, drama, and theatricality – so they feel a connection to the actor. I’ve created scenes in which Mr. Pierce interacts with and embodies characters from his life. As result, Elijah Pierce is not the only character onstage. Through his memory, he conjures his father, his mother, patrons in the barber shop, his wives, and others.
 

Atlanta is a big city that draws people from all over the world, certainly from all over Georgia. I’ve traveled around the state and developed friendships with folks who grew up beyond the Atlanta city limits. As I was growing up, I listened to the way people spoke. I’ve always gotten a kick out of accents and the way people use language. Southern accents – and there are varieties of them – are a source of fun for me. A Tennessee accent is different from a Georgia accent is different from a Mississippi accent. A southern teacher who grew up near Clark College will have a different sound from a nurse on Atlanta’s southwest side. Those voices and personalities have stayed with me. Beyond the voices, I like to listen to stories. I’m inspired by women’s stories. At the same time, I’m curious about the lives of men. There’s a certain mystery about men, especially black men from the South; they are multi-faceted. I’m curious about how men process their own experiences and how that processing differs from the way women do it. I was intrigued about writing about this man who was so different from me. I wanted to tell the story of the whole person and not focus solely on heroics. I was curious about his struggles, hurts, fears and world view. I wanted to capture the rhythms and cadences of his voice. Elijah Pierce would have been a contemporary of my great-great Uncle Charles Holland who pastored Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Atlanta. I wonder how much they’d have had in common. I have relied heavily on research. Interviews and facts have laid the groundwork for the play. Beyond the information about Mr. Pierce, I’ve enjoyed using my imagination to get inside his head and empathize with his experience.
 

I love music and I love to dance. I also left the South and settled up North. However, I have never hopped a train. I identify with his passion for being creative. He must have carved thousands of pieces. He began carving in childhood. I started writing when I was a child. We both were self-motivated. I didn’t pursue it seriously as a life’s work until I was well into adulthood. I appreciate Mr. Pierce’s southern sensibility. I’m also a person of faith and I can imagine a conversation in which we’d both be talking about how good the Lord Jesus is. I’m inspired by Pierce’s love of stories about life, redemption and the power of God.
 

I never cared about playing baseball and I never carried a pocket knife. When I started this project, I was not a big fan of folk art. My preferences tend to be contemporary. But I’ve developed greater appreciation for the beauty and power of folk art. His gift was huge and it was pure. The work poured out of him. I believe him when he says his work was guided by the hand of God. To develop the art and craft of writing, I’ve studied, taken classes and attended workshops. I’ve sought and been influenced by teachers. Pierce didn’t seek that. He was self-taught.
 

The workshops were indispensable in supporting the revision process. I needed to hear the words out loud in order to determine what worked and what didn’t, what to delete and what to develop. Geoff Nelson has great ideas about structure, action, when a section needs, for example, fewer words or increased conflict. Alan Bomar Jones is a great, energetic improvisational actor. He helped me envision how Pierce could move onstage. Bill Childs reminded me to stay connected to the history – the civil rights era, race relations, and issues close to Pierce’s heart, such as his faith. The audiences for the readings seemed to connect well with Mr. Pierce. Their comments were often affirming and thought-provoking, always. I received suggestions about other solo shows to see (Thurgood on Broadway) and questions about the deepest motivations of Elijah Pierce. The workshops also attracted people who knew Mr. Pierce. Their comments aided the creative process.
 

After one of the readings, an audience member said young people will relate to this story because it explores choices and consequences. We relate to Mr. Pierce’s choices and the results of those choices. The play also spotlights the timelessness of his work. He did achieve fame and acclaim. His carvings are displayed in galleries all over the country. New Yorkers know the name Elijah Pierce. He had a personal vision and created powerful work. His story of rebellion, redemption, and rise to success is a classic American story.
 

With each draft, I’m finding the piece, sculpting away unnecessary words, and revealing the truth of the story. There’s a line in the play that applies to this process: “You got to know what to cut and what to keep.” Sometimes, the idea is there, but it’s cluttered by unnecessary words. Cut away the excess and the idea crystallizes.
 

Some haircuts require precision. The most effective writing is precise. Just as a good hair cut reveals a beautiful face, the right language reveals the truth of characters and story.
 

The South, particularly the women of the South. Also, I’m inspired by the underdog – that person who’s misunderstood and has more going on inside than outsiders recognize.
 

August Wilson, Conor McPherson, Toni Morrison, Toni Cade Bambara, Barbara Kingsolver, David Gates, Alice Walker, Billy Collins, Terrance Hayes, Zora Neale Hurston, Lynn Nottage, Pearl Cleage, Suzan-Lori Parks, Julia Glass, Dean Albarelli…