Sister Helen Prejean, who had become an internationally known human rights activist as a result of her book, "Dead Man Walking", first conceived the idea of a stage version of her work in 1998. She had read a "New Yorker" magazine article that said Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman", had been performed a million times, and was performed every day somewhere in the world. Sister Helen realized that if "Dead Man Walking" could be adapted as a play, its influence would be expanded.