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| Photo Credit: Anthony Artis Photography Interviewed by: Kay Addman kaddman@believersreport.com |
I remember walking down the street of Downtown Brooklyn, engaged in deep conversation looking as cute as a pie. Low and behold, a pothole attacked me and within seconds I was face down and bleeding perfusely from the knees. One look at DeShana and we burst into hysterical laughter while she tries desparately to seem more concerned than about to burst at the seams. This was the beginning of a hectic and most enjoyable day as hearts were pumping, palms sweaty and everyone on edge. Opening day of Behing Closed Doors written, directed and produced by DeShana Pitts. There was no going back now, the theater at LIU Brooklyn, Campus was full, the dream was a reality.
B.R.: Tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where did you grow up?
D.P.: I was born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, NY. I am youngest out of three girls of a single mother. Some of my fondest memories are from my childhood in Brooklyn. Playing outside with my friends during a time when things were all about making up games, being active, and simply having fun. There is a significant age gap between my sisters and I and so many times when I wasn’t outside playing with my friends I was inside creating new and exciting ways to have fun by myself. This is where my vivid imagination began. My mind was always at work and in my eyes there was never a dull moment. My mom was very supportive in all activities that I participated in which also encouraged my creative side, from girl scouts, dance, cheerleading, and school plays, events and activities, or participating in festivals as an MC. I lived a very active childhood. I don’t recall playing video games much, that’s because I was too busy playing every childhood game you can name for an urban city kid in the streets of Brooklyn.
It is with these childhood experiences where my passion for creativity began. I went to Boys and Girls High School where I was a part of many school activities such as student government, red berets, cheerleading, and more. I went on to SUNY Canton College and studied nursing but transferred to CUNY Hunter College where I graduated with a Bachelors in Science, Accounting. I am currently enrolled in Troy State University Graduate School pursuing my Masters in Business Administration.
B.R.: Growing up, were you always into writing?
D.P.: Believe it or not I actually was. When I was younger, I used to write all the time. Whatever came to my mind I would begin to write it out, stories and adventures placed me in a different world. My pencil and imagination became my passport into a world that only a child’s mind could think of. I remember some of my earliest writings were in the 4th grade. My teacher at the time gave the class an opportunity to make a presentation before the class, which was very similar to show and tell. However, this was an outlet to express our creative sides. Most of the children came up with songs, dance, or raps, or presented their favourite thing. I decided to come in with a story. I went home one night and started writing my little heart out. I was serious about my little book and fashioned it together just like a real book with a colorful book cover and stapled together pages. I stood before the class during our creative time and began to read my story. Instantly it was a hit, and each time afterward all the children requested that I read my story during this time. I didn’t know it at the time, and honestly didn’t think much of it either, but God had created something very special in me then. However, I didn’t see it and therefore never sort after until 12 years later when asked by my then Pastor Vivian Grubb to write a Christmas play for the youth department, it was then that I started writing. Needless to say until this day I’ve been trying to locate my teacher to find that story I wrote some years ago for my classmates.
B.R.: Did you start out with writing plays?
D.P.: Surprisingly no, Lol, I actually started writing through a journal. I used to write everything that came to mind whether it was a real life situation of mine, someone else’s, or just imagining what my life would be like in the future. When I began play writing, it was focused on those real life situations but with a twist as to not put my business or someone else’s business on front street.
B.R.: How did you cultivate your gift for writing?
D.P.: By continuously doing it!!! Practice, practice, practice!! Once I was done with one play, I was always onto writing the next one. I also began to expand outside of writing and went back to my roots of writing stories, then onto poems, and short stories, anything that required me to speak on something pretty much. I’ve also joined writing groups where it encourages you to write by fellow writers and published authors. You can present your work and get honest critiques on feedback on your pieces from your writing peers as well as listen to other writing styles by other writers to help expand your skill set and imagination. Aside from those influences, I also cultivate my writing style from the bible. Being a writer, I hold a deep appreciation for a lot of the Psalms, letters, and parables. The biblical stories taught me how to be a descriptive writer. Every time I read a story from the bible, I could literally picture the entire scenario in my mind. That’s one of the qualities I admire and seek after with developing my writing skill. It is through this method that allows the reader to relate better to what the author is trying to convey which connects them with the message.
B.R.: How did Soul-Essentials Production come about?
D.P.: I never really thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but that’s usually how it starts I guess. I just thought that I was going to go to college, get my degree, and then work in someone’s office crunching numbers. I am still doing that now lol, however the difference is that is not my career or life path. Often times our plans are not God’s plans. Because of this, God steered me into creating my own production company in 2007. While trying to do my plays, I ran into a lot of legal obstacles. Nothing major, but enough that required a business entity to get some things done that I wasn’t able to do on my own, thus the start of Soul-Essentials Productions, Inc. Once the need of having a legal entity was established, a name that the people could understand and identify with was next. I had so many names on the table for what the company should be, some of which I can’t remember what they are. However, I prayed and thought about it seriously because this was a name I and the company had to live with for the life of the ministry. Since the material was soul reaching, soul had to be somewhere in there, but just Soul Productions alone wasn’t going to cut it. There had to be something impactful in the name to suggest to the audience that what we were presenting they needed to stop and pay attention to it, something they needed to experience. So Soul-Essentials, essentially necessary for your soul, was born. Whether it was healing, joy, peace, or an outlet for you to let GO! Under the entity Soul-Essentials Productions, I was able to do anything any other business entity is able to. This was vital when it came to renting venues, vendors, seeking sponsors or potential investors. In order for other to take your work serious, you must take it serious first. Do your homework, and get the work done! You can’t expect someone to put more into you whether it’s financially or creatively than you.
Out of those challenges I also saw a need for advocacy or a door opener for new up and coming actors, actresses, aspiring producers, productions crew, and playwrights. I just think everyone deserves an opportunity and a chance to pursue their dreams if they are passionate about it now matter how big or small. But a lot of times, there are few outlets to do so without either having an internship in school or knowing someone that knows someone. After experiencing all the challenges I had to face to get my foot through the door in a lot of places, I wanted Soul-Essentials to be a gateway to those who wanted to make it in the industry and didn’t know when, what, and how to start a production.
B.R.: In ministry it seems the “space” is limited to singers and preachers if you will. Do you recognize your writing as a gift and if so do you believe it’s underrated?
D.P.: I most certainly do recognize my writing as a gift. The entire experience is a gift. I’ve never taken a creative writing course, I wasn’t a theatre or film production major, and have never produced shows before. God has showed me everything to do. I know it sounds cliché but literally he did. I knew things about productions that I never read about or heard about it just came to me naturally, a God given gift. When God gives you something it shouldn’t be something that is taken lightly or something that you should sit on, but follow through with all your heart and all your ability because he certainly will do the rest. All I did was put the pen to the paper and let God do the rest. But it is up to me to take care of the gift that God has given me. That exhibits my faithfulness to Him. There is no question that God will always be faithful concerning his promises to me but can he trust me with his gifts? I must show God that the gifts he entrusts me with are used in a way that pleases Him. I think that’s where most people go wrong; they forget where the gift comes from. I also didn’t just sit in my seat and say “Oh God is going to give me what I need to say so there’s nothing for me to do but sit here.” Absolutely not! I understand that faith without works is dead, and entrusting me with his gift doesn’t mean for me to sit on it or hide it in the ground to do nothing. That gift should be producing fruit. I went on and nurtured it and sort other things to help develop it and allowed it to grow, and continuously grow. That isn’t to say that I WON’T take a creative course, because I will, or that I won’t invest in theatre or film production, because I will and have. I think pursuing those things will only help enhance/grow what God has already planted in me.
Most of the times when you think about church you only hear about famous gospel singers or preachers but you never hear about the other gifts that are out there. The ministry definitely leans more towards the music and preaching side, which they serve very important roles in the kingdom, however, I believe writers does as well. Jesus was one of the greatest storytellers there was with his many parables, it was David and his poems that created some of the best worship songs that we sing today, some of Solomon’s words of wisdom in proverbs is used in most day to day figures of speech also identifying a Virtuous woman, and with Pails letters that we have some of the most heartfelt scriptural references for repentance, deliverance, forgiveness, and spiritual growth. None of them were huge sermons and conferences, or highly orchestrated concerts. They were simply words creatively written down that were spoken from the heart. So yes I will say writers are underrated in the ministry because a lot of times it might not show the upfront glamorous side of “church”.
B.R.: Both Prodigal Daughter & Behind Closed Doors had such a huge impact on people. Playwrights who usually appeal to the urban community tend to mix the themes of spirituality and real life scenarios, how would you differentiate your work, what makes it real and hit home for the audience?
D.P.: Prodigal Daughter was mostly based on a real life situation. I had a babysitter who used to watch me after school. She used to wear skirts everyday because she had a strict Christian mother that said wearing pants was a sin. She used to sneak in my sisters closet in the morning before she took me to school and sneak my sisters clothes on and take off her skirts and then sneak them back off when she would bring me home. I thought it was hilarious but sad at the same time because I really couldn’t understand how a pair of pants could send you to hell. Behind Closed Doors addressed HIV/AIDS a subject the church seems hesitant to explore.
What makes my writing hit home to me is the fact that I try to be as real to life situations as possible without trying to sugar coat anything. I think that’s why Christians aren’t so susceptible to lean towards a good writer because sometimes the truth hurts. Or in my case the truth hurts because I don’t want to hold back. Although I received praises I also got phone calls, complaints, and nasty grams about what is and isn’t appropriate. But they way I see it, Life is or isn’t appropriate. How does sugar-coating life reach anyone? We don’t live in that world. We live in a real world, with real challenges and real obstacles. When you have more people saying, “I’m so glad you said it, someone had to finally say it...” there’s something wrong with that statement. Why are we so afraid to speak the very thing that is holding us captive instead of releasing it and being free? I’m sure I will continue to get complaints, phone calls, or nasty grams about my writer. That’s because I don’t consider my writing Christian writing. I consider myself a writer who is a Christian. The difference there is I write for everyone, and my beliefs still stand strong as a Christian. I don’t write to make it acceptable for other Christians because they are afraid or ashamed to air their dirty laundry.
D.P.: Gaining some much needed life experience!! Lol. I’ve been on some life journey these last four years but I know it was all for the glory of God. The ups and downs were only for someone else. It was preparation for the next phase that God is leading me. Right now I am working on a novel that was birthed out of the hiatus. I hope to have the novel published some time in 2012-2013. Along with the novel I am adapting screenplays and teleplays into the repertoire. Lastly, working on revamping Soul-Essentials Productions to be a successful company to fully employ workers as well as serve as my only source of employment taking the industry by storm.
B.R.: I remember working with you on both productions we had some good times. What were some of your best memories?
D.P.: Some of the best memories I had from working on those productions is the rehearsals. I think we prayed until we had blood for sweat pouring out of our pores. We also had many fun times with jokes and just getting everything together. It was fun learning the entire process of making a production hands on. All the technical, production and business experience was exciting to learn from the ground up.
Being backstage opening night joking around with the actors to relieve tension, as actors were threatening to steal my red velvet cake (which they didn’t touch because I had a surprise for them), to people finding a church home or coming to Christ if was all wonderful memories. All great memories that I will never forget that birthed many wonderful friendships that I still hold to this day. It definitely makes me feel good for someone to say that I inspired them in some way. It’s not because of arrogance or a boast of confidence, but its evidence that he who began a good work in me is definitely able to perform it. It’s all proves the purpose that God has for me. The seeds are being planted.
B.R.: What is the future like for Soul Essentials?
D.P.: I see Soul-Essentials in all areas of production, whether it’s in books, films, television, or in the theatre. There is definitely a lack of African Americans in the business, women for that matter, who are producing, directing, and writing all their own materials and on top of all of that represent Christ. I’m excited for the things God has in store for Soul-Essentials and me in the future. For He knows the plans, the He has for me, plans of peace and not of evil to give me a hope and a future!
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