In 1927, it opened as the Flannigan and Steele Theater, a
movie theater, and has been a place for entertainment in Kent since then. The
Western Reserve Folk Arts Association, a
non-profit organization, opened the Kent Stage in 2002, primarily holding various musical performances by nationally known performers at the venue.
Ani DiFranco,
Tom Paxton,
Richie Havens,
The Avett Brothers,
Old Crow Medicine Show,
Janis Ian,
Peter Rowan and
Tony Rice,
Melanie,
Loudon Wainwright III,
The Kingston Trio,
Leo Kottke,
John Gorka,
Leon Redbone,
Al Stewart,
Pete Best,
Ralph Stanley and the
Clinch Mountain Boys,
Sam Bush,
John Cowan,
Vassar Clements,
Rosanne Cash,
The Wailers,
Little Feat,
Nickel Creek,
India Arie,
Machine Gun Kelly,
Tim O'Brien,
Justin Hayward, and many others. The venue has also hosted the
Children's Musical Theater of Kent, the
Kent Blues Festival,
Up From The River Music Festival, and since 2002 the
Kent State Folk Festival. ==References==