CLEVELAND, OH — Some people run from the fire. They avoid the trauma, dodge the truth, and bury the past. But Ronnie L. Holman walked straight through the flames—carrying every scar, every story, and every struggle—and turned them into fuel for transformation.
Raised in one of Cleveland’s toughest neighborhoods, Holman never sugarcoats his reality.
“You might find a body in your backyard and drugs being sold out front—violence was a backdrop,” he shares, not as a badge of honor but as our truth too many young people still endure.
Rather than become a product of his environment, Holman rewrote his narrative. In 2014, he launched P.U.R.E. Productions, short for Prospering Under Radical Expectations, a theater company that doubles as a movement—dedicated to telling raw, redemptive stories that confront the harshest realities with compassion and clarity.
P.U.R.E. Productions’ plays go where most fear to tread. Domestic abuse is exposed in “Mama, Why Me?”. Mental illness finds its voice in “When the Lights Go Out.” And spiritual dysfunction takes the stage in “The Messy Church.” These aren’t just performances—they’re interventions.
“This play will make you laugh, cry, scream at the stage, and cheer. I can’t wait to see more from him!” one audience member shared, capturing the emotional depth that has become Holman’s signature.
But Holman’s artistry isn’t limited to the stage. He’s an accomplished professional drummer who has performed with both gospel and secular artists. As a journalist, he’s interviewed cultural heavyweights like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. As an author, his book “A Love Letter to My Daughter” offers heartfelt wisdom to young women navigating identity and self-worth.
“Be present emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Pray over your babies,” Holman writes—advice that speaks not just to fathers, but to a generation in need of guidance.
Beyond the lights and applause, Holman is a dedicated community builder. He offers acting classes and mentorship programs to youth, believing in the power of storytelling to heal and empower. His Back 2 School Giveaways and Christmas Giveaways provide essential resources to families in need, while his outreach has extended as far as Haiti, where he’s coordinated school supply donations for underserved children.
Through his life’s work, Ronnie L. Holman reminds us that art isn’t just for entertainment—it’s for elevation. Every stage he sets, every line he writes, and every child he mentors stands as a testament to the idea that pain can be repurposed—and that healing begins with honesty.