Acalypha Hispida (chenille plant) Pruning? Okay, so I need some support here. See, I love this plant....

Okay, so I need some support here.
See, I love this plant. It died back to the one stem ultimate winter and there is a lot of congested growth at the top and here is a lot of young leaves sprouting up and down the biggest stem. (It is a little less than a foot high.) But this young growth never develops!!
Do you think I should whack the congested growth past its sell-by date the top to kind of let it know I want to see some branching and growth going on.or do you chew over I should let well satisfactory alone??
I know that the gardening books I read say to prune it hard, but I want to hear some actual personal experience from growers and answerers.

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Answers:    diminish the amount of growth at the top by removing some of the sprouts, remove the growth along the stem and train the chenille into a small standard it would be really cute
or
repot into fresh miracle grow in the same size pot and whack it rotten about 6 inches from the soil level,
bright bright street lamp, fertilize 1/4 strength twice a month.

i grew them commercially

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