The Dixon: Historic Theatre leadership cuts ties with executive director just weeks after grand reopening

DIXON – Just weeks after The Dixon: Historic Theatre reopened after a major renovation project, its executive director has been terminated.

Darren Mangler’s termination came Wednesday during a meeting with Theater Board Chairman Mike Venier, who also is a Dixon City Council member, because “[Mangler’s] talents and our needs have been falling out of alignment as we continue to grow,” theater board member Debbie Bay wrote in an email to Shaw Local. Theater board member Jeremy Englund also was at that meeting.

The emal further stated: “The board of directors of The Dixon: Historic Theatre supports the results of the meeting between our chairman and Darren Mangler. We thank Darren for his time, effort and talents that he devoted to the theatre. We have a wonderful season planned for 2025 that he was instrumental in building and we look forward to fulfilling his vision of what our theatre can be.”

Mangler was hired by the theater’s board of directors in early 2024.

Mangler and other members of the theater’s board did not immediately respond to requests for interviews.

Until about 2019, the 103-year-old theater sat largely unused. That year, the Historic Dixon Theatre Group replaced the previous board of directors and had big plans to raise its profile, but lost momentum in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then, in August 2022, the theater won a $1.2 million federal Economic Development Administration grant for structural improvements to the facility. By 2024, with the hiring of Mangler, its revitalization plans took off again. The theater closed Oct. 1 to undergo its $1.5 million restoration project.

[ A grand debut: The Dixon Historic Theatre undergoing renovations, preparing for big 2025 season ]

In the meantime, Mangler worked on developing the theater’s 90-show lineup for the 2025 season, which he championed in an article he wrote that was published by Shaw Local on Dec. 19, 2024.

The season includes two touring shows, three original musicals and four children’s performances. Other highlights are the Dixon Municipal Band’s seasonal concerts, performances from the Eastman School of Dance, movie nights, a USO show for veterans, and the return of video game tournaments on the big screen.

Mangler also developed comedy classes that he was running at the theater. According to a Wednesday afternoon Facebook post by the theater, those classes are permanently canceled. That post has since been deleted.

“He [Mangler] is a very talented artist and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. He will be welcome on our stage at anytime,” Bay’s statement said.

Mangler got his start in theater at the Timber Lake Playhouse in Mount Carroll. He booked two national tours with the Repertory Theater of America and The Missoula Children’s Theater before moving to Los Angeles and, eventually, making his way back to northern Illinois.

He’s most known for his role in the 2008 film “The Crusaders #357: Experiment in Evil!” as well as writing the 2012 films “Hancock of 1776″ and “Hear no Evil,” according to his profile on IMDb.com.

The Dixon theater reopened March 2 with the musical “Spamilton.” The major renovations are complete, but some cosmetic changes are still in the works.

It was a “fantastic night, stressful night, but I think we had 350 [people] for ‘Spamilton’ which was a very funny show,” Venier said at the March 3 Dixon City Council meeting.