SPOTLIGHT ON AUTUMN HALES

A Career Born of Reinvention

After her past limited her career options, Autumn found herself searching for a new path. “Becoming a felon meant I could no longer use my degree in respiratory therapy. It was a devastating blow,” she recalls. “But it also forced me to pivot.”

That pivot led her to hairdressing, a career that has become both a creative outlet and a powerful means of connection.

“I’ve literally grown with my clients. I’ve seen their children blossom into young adults and held hands of clients who lost their wife after 50 years of marriage,” she says. “What I enjoy most is transforming a person’s perspective of themselves, even if just for a moment.”

Creativity in the Everyday

Creativity remains woven through Autumn’s life, from the salon to the home she shares with her family. “Raising four kids, from entertaining a one-year-old to navigating life with an 18-year-old, is a daily act of creativity in itself,” she laughs.

And in her work, that creativity is constant. “Clients sit in my chair asking to look beautiful, but not like anyone else. It’s up to me to figure out what works best for each person. It’s problem-solving, artistry, and connection all in one.”

Balancing creativity and personal time as a busy mom is an ongoing challenge. “100% honestly, I’m still trying to figure that one out. Some days I win that battle. Many days I don’t. But every day is another chance to try again.”

Finding Freedom on Stage

Autumn first discovered Prison Performing Arts while incarcerated at WERDCC. “I was pregnant, bored, and needed something to help me escape the new reality I had plunged myself into,” she recalls.

Then she saw a performance featuring PPA’s Rachel Tibbetts. “I don’t even remember the play. But Rachel? She was the most beautiful, exciting, amazing actress I’d ever seen. I wanted to be a part of that.”

She joined PPA, and it changed everything. “For a moment in time, we were able to escape our lives in that institution and be free, in the moment of something beautiful. I felt like I was making a difference to every person in the audience.”

One of her most memorable experiences came when she was cast as Hamlet in Hip-Hop Hamlet. “First, I had to play a man. Then rap!” she laughs. “I didn’t even audition for the role… I was afraid I couldn’t do it. But it ended up being one of my most treasured roles. I did it!”

A Lifelong Creative Home

After her release, Autumn assumed her time with PPA was over. But during the beginning of the pandemic, when the Alumni Theatre Company could no longer meet in person, something unexpected happened. Rehearsals and performances moved to Zoom, opening the door for out-of-town artists like Autumn to rejoin the community in a brand new way.

“I really thought whenever I left Vandalia I would not have the opportunity to be a part of this amazing community,” she says. “But this platform has kept me completely involved. I’ve been so thankful for it.”

Since then, online opportunities have remained a priority for the company, helping artists

stay connected regardless of where life has taken them. Autumn has appeared virtually in Kept Away, The Bridge Watcher, Waiting for Hecate, The Golden Record, and most recently, The End of Times Channel Surf.

And in 2023, she got to bring one of those characters to life in person, reprising her role as Harper in the live production of Waiting for Hecate. “It was an amazing opportunity,” she says. “It felt incredible. And it’s something I would love to experience again.”

Art, Strength, and the Future

Asked what advice she’d give her younger self before her first PPA show, Autumn says simply: “Breathe. You can do anything you put your mind to.”

To anyone unsure about getting involved in the arts, she says: “Just jump in with both feet and see what happens. Even if you only have one line, the experience is invigorating and unforgettable. There’s a kind of magic in live performance that you can’t fully understand until you’ve tried it. It challenges you, excites you, and teaches you things about yourself that nothing else can.”

For Autumn, programs like PPA matter because they invite people to rediscover parts of themselves they may have forgotten—or never had the chance to know.

“In a world that can feel harsh and overwhelming, PPA provides a space where beauty, creativity, and self-expression thrive,” she says. “It allows you to see yourself in a new light—one that is strong, artistic, and full of potential. Through its support and challenges, PPA helps shape you into a version of yourself that is powerful, refreshing, and uniquely talented.”