FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Playwright Michael Vigilant will speak about turning the life of legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant into a play at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the Giddens Conference Center at the Fairhope Public Library.

Vigilant, the chief operating officer at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, is the author of more than a dozen published works.

His latest, Bear Country, which traces Bryant’s path from a poor sharecropper’s son to triumphant Crimson Tide coach, runs at ASF through Feb. 15.

Vigilant will discuss his research methods and the special benefits and challenges of writing about such a well-known and beloved figure.

His appearance is the first in the two-part “Southern Accents” series that brings ASF playwrights to the library.

On March 14, Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder will speak about her new play, “The Furniture of Home,” about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Bayou La Batre.

Admission to both events is free.