Our Presenter Spotlights are a chance for the wider sector to get to know the people and organizations bringing live performance to communities across Ontario.
For our first instalment of the Presenter Spotlight, we spoke with Devon Hansen, Theatre Manager of the Capitol Theatre and Kiwanis Theatre in Chatham-Kent.
devonh [at] chatham-kent.ca (Email Devon) • Capitol Theatre Website • Kiwanis Theatre Website
Two Theatres, One Downtown
I'm the Theatre Manager for both the Capitol and Kiwanis Theatre, overseeing general operations, marketing, presenting, and educational programs. Within Chatham-Kent's downtown core sit two prominent performance spaces: the Kiwanis Theatre, a 615-seat facility operating since 1963, and the historic Capitol Theatre, a 1,200-seat venue most recently restored in 2010. Chatham-Kent values arts and culture, showing strong support for local talent while also embracing performances from beyond the region.
Fourteen Years In
My path to becoming a presenter is rooted in both professional training and long-standing community involvement. I hold a Bachelor's in Music (Piano Performance) and a Master's in Musicology, and played Carnegie Hall at 25. Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was always my favourite. I've been a Chatham-Kent resident for 15 years, and for 14 of those I've been actively presenting through a local non-profit series. I also own and operate a community music school, which keeps me connected to the next generation of arts-goers. Teaching piano, you find out quickly what young people are drawn to. It puts me in a position to act as a conduit, getting them curious about live performance.
Curate. Connect. Celebrate.
Presenting live performance is about creating shared experiences that bring people together in the same room, in the same moment. It's also about stewardship: curating work that challenges, inspires, and reflects the community. This season, we're presenting the Toronto Jazz Orchestra. Jazz might be a minority audience in Chatham, but it has a following, and we're connecting the show to schools, offering ticket promos to band and music students so they can see professional musicians up close, with the possibility of a meet and greet as well. Some of my favourite moments are seeing school buses lined up all down the street, filling the theatre with students who've never set foot in the venue before.
Long-Time Supporters and First-Timers
We present for a diverse audience reflecting Chatham-Kent, while also drawing patrons from across southwestern Ontario. Growing that audience is equally important: welcoming first-time attendees who may never have experienced live performance before. The Capitol Theatre's auditorium is a fully restored 1930s space with all of its original intricate features intact. It's the wow moment for new patrons. Restoring this theatre was a labour of love for the community, and we're very lucky to have it.
Our Strongest Season Yet
Last season marked both the Capitol Theatre's 15th anniversary and my first fully programmed presenting season. The theatre was still recovering from COVID-19, with some lingering negativity from its early days. I saw it as a chance to shift that narrative. The result: multiple sellout performances and the strongest attendance numbers in the theatre's history. One booking captured that full-circle feeling especially well: Howie Mandel, who'd been the opening act when the theatre first opened, returned to headline the anniversary season.
Re-engaging audiences meant getting hands-on with it: post-show surveys, many of which I respond to personally, being present at more shows to talk with patrons, and a weekly radio spot on two local stations. We've also been building more collaboration across Arts & Culture in the Municipality, working with the gallery and museum on shared programming and partnering with community groups. ∎