Classic Theatre of Maryland — Attraction in Annapolis

WARNING – THIS BUSINESS IS UNWILLING TO ACCOMMODATE THE HANDICAPPED.

Due to a recent vehicle accident I am temporarily handicapped and unable to walk on one of my legs for 4-6 months. I am presently in a hard cast and on crutches. Due to my limited mobility I have been reluctant to go out because it is just tough to navigate through things I usually do not think twice about like stairs and doors, and fitting into chairs and aisles. To embrace the holiday season and get my family out of the house I agreed to go to an evening performance of a Christmas Carol at Classic Theatre of Maryland on 12/19/2024 and it was a disaster.

I was with six family members and we had seats on the floor at stage right. My seat was level with the stage with an 18” aisle between the edge of my seat and the stage. When I sat down with my crutches an usher approached. I thought he was going to offer to store the crutches until I needed them as other theatres do, I was somewhat taken aback when he warned me to make sure to keep them out of everyone’s way. Odd behavior but I chalked it up as an anomaly.

Through the first half of the play I could not get comfortable because of the limited legroom (think Frontier Airlines) and inability to extend my leg. Even though I was in pain and uncomfortable I hung through the first half of the performance in my seat so as not to interrupt the show and disturb the audience (exiting on crutches is a real show).

At intermission, and with about twenty minutes left in the play, I moved into the back of the bleacher seats since the theatre was half empty and I would be able to extend my leg to get some relief. Almost immediately a young female usher approached and asked why I switched seats. I explained all of the above, broken leg, narrow aisle, inability to extend leg, etc. and she remarked that the seat I was in was more expensive and I would have to move. Figuring this was just youthful enthusiasm I asked to speak to her supervisor expecting cooler heads to prevail. When the supervisor came out she also stated that the seat I was in was more expensive and insisted that I would have to move or pay an additional $20.00. When I asked if they had handicapped seating that I could relocate to she informed me that all of those seats were sold out. I relented and paid the additional charge because I was embarrassed at being accosted in this fashion and our exchange was proving a distraction.

Now $20.00 is not much but we had already dropped $455.00 on tickets and another $150.00+ at the concessions. With 20 minutes left in the performance was it really worth the ill will and aggravation to try to shake me down for another $20.00? I had already bought a ticket so all the normal charges (insurance, utilities, rent, etc.) were covered in some small part by my ticket, there was zero expense incurred by the theatre when I switched seats to the back of the half empty venue.

When you have a bad interaction with one staff member you can chalk it up to an aberration but when you have a bad interaction with three staff members, one of which is a supervisor, it is a sign of organizational dysfunction and indifference. You would be well served to avoid this venue as we will after four years of attending performances.

*The irony of the play attended, where atonement for miserliness and stinginess, is the central theme is...

I just left this evening‘s performance of a Christmas Carol. The theater director demonstrated disgraceful behavior towards a community member and patron. This gentleman was temporarily handicapped and needed assistance of a medical device for mobility. During intermission, he moved to an empty seat in the theater because his originally purchased seat did not provide space to accommodate his medical devices. He was approached by the theater director who advised the gentleman that he would only be able to remain in this vacant seat if he paid a ticket upgrade fee. She further shared that there were no remaining handicap seats available, and if unwilling to pay the ticket upgrade fee, he would need to return to his original seat. It is atrocious to treat community members, or any human, with such disregard for the sake of financial gain. It was truly disheartening to witness, specifically during the spirit of giving, and the holiday season. Unfortunately, we will never return to this theater due to its poor management; that is to the detriment of what was a very talented cast. Very...

I attended a performance of The Crucible, which was well-acted and well-produced. I have enjoyed the many incarnations of local theatre that A.A.Co has had over the years. The entire CTM facility is appealing, and the cabarets look fun, though I haven’t been to one yet. I am confused about this business being listed on the advertising site Public Square, and I think that association could be very off-putting for many people who enjoy the Arts. It’s sure possible that some businesses look for various advertising opportunities without realizing what the optics of...