2024 - Formerly Incarcerated Man, Turned Barber, Returns to ECC for One-Man Show

The Elgin Community College Humanities Center welcomes back Anthony Spaulding for a special performance of his one-man show, “To Cut a Barber’s Hand.” This captivating performance blends drama, comedy, romance, and rap to share the compelling story of how he overcame challenges to obtain a barber’s license after returning from prison.

The show will take place on Tuesday, September 10, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, at 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, Ill., in Building G, Room G100, Spartan Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

Spaulding, an alumnus of Northwestern University’s Prison Education Program at Stateville Penitentiary, served 27 years after being incarcerated at 16 years old.  Released in 2022, Spaulding previously connected with the ECC community during a March 2024 panel discussion hosted by the ECC Humanities Center on educational programs within Stateville Penitentiary. His summer run at Chicago’s Second City further solidified Spaulding’s powerful story and talent. 

“When we first met Anthony, he was a really compelling and interesting person,” said Geoff Payne, PhD, associate professor of humanities. “The Humanities Center Speaker Series exists to help people understand and provide them with different perspectives on what is happening in the world. During this event, Anthony will share his story, which opens up insight into what is happening in America’s prison system as a whole.”

The Humanities Center Speaker Series brings speakers of international, national, and/or regional importance to ECC to speak on topics significant to the humanities for the benefit of the ECC academic community. For more information, visit elgin.edu/academics/humanities-center.

The next Humanities Center Speaker Series event will be a panel discussion on September 24.