HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
A 1927 vaudeville house haunted by 'Woody'—handyman Albert DeVos, who died on Christmas Day 1990 in the Green Room—and a reportedly hostile presence in the basement.
175 E Main St, Kent, OH 44240
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Show tickets required for performances; prices vary by event. See website for current schedule.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic theater interior; main floor is accessible. Basement areas are staff-only.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1927 · Opened 1927 as silent film and vaudeville house · Active live music venue in downtown Kent · Death of handyman Albert DeVos on premises, Christmas Day 1990
The building at 175 E. Main St. in Kent opened in 1927, purpose-built for the twin entertainments of the era: silent film projection and vaudeville performance. The theater's stage and seating configuration reflected the demands of live variety shows, and the venue served as a central social anchor in downtown Kent through the early sound-film era.
Like many single-screen theaters, the Kent Stage went through periods of decline as multiplex cinemas drew audiences away from downtown. The building survived those transitions and was eventually renovated and reopened as a live music venue, filling the role of intimate concert hall for the Kent and Kent State University community. The theater now hosts touring national acts alongside local and regional performers, operating as one of the more active independent music venues in northeast Ohio.
The building's history intersects with its paranormal reputation through a specific documented incident: handyman Albert DeVos, who worked at the theater under the nickname 'Woody,' died in the Green Room on Christmas Day 1990. DeVos's death was confirmed as occurring on the property, and his long association with the building—combined with the date and location of his death—has made him the named anchor for the theater's ghost lore as documented in the Kent State student press.
Sources
The Kent Stage's primary ghost is Albert DeVos, a handyman who worked at the theater for years before his death in the Green Room on December 25, 1990. Staff call him 'Woody,' and the nickname appears consistently across the accounts documented by the Kent Stater student newspaper and the KSU journalism program. Reported phenomena attributed to Woody include tools found in positions other than where they were left, distinct footsteps in sections of the theater confirmed to be empty, and—in multiple staff accounts—apparent electronic responses on devices when DeVos's name is spoken directly.
A second presence at the Kent Stage is described differently: centered in the basement storage area, described as darker in character, and in at least one account physically affecting an investigator. This presence is not given a name in the available accounts and is treated separately from the more benign Woody in the staff's own taxonomy of the building's activity.
The Kent Stater's coverage of the theater's haunting is notable for involving staff interviews and direct reporting rather than secondhand collection of rumor—the accounts come from people who work in the building regularly, which lends them a degree of internal consistency that distinguishes the Kent Stage from locations where the ghost lore is purely oral and unattributed.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
The Kent Stage operates as an active live music and performance venue. Attending a show gives visitors access to the main floor and lobby of the theater where Albert 'Woody' DeVos is said to still walk. Staff have documented tools moving, footsteps in empty sections, and responses when Woody's name is spoken aloud.
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