Mr. Chambers, a native of Annapolis, was 66, according to the Annapolis Evening Capital.

In the small but active Annapolis theatre scene, which offers professional but not often Equity productions, Mr. Chambers was a major player for some 40 years.

Among companies he worked with over the years were Tom Thumb Players, the Colonial Players of Annapolis, the American Light Opera Company and the Annapolis Dinner Theater. He helped found the Annapolis Summer Garden Theater, and directed and produced many shows there.

In his career, he was artistic director of the Annapolis Dinner Theater and the Lazy Susan Dinner Theater in Woodbridge, VA.

Mr. Chambers played Scrooge in a stage version of "A Christmas Carol" that he adapted and directed at the Annapolis Dinner Theater. A hightlight of his career, friends said, was playing Salieri in Amadeus for Colonial Players. "I had the pleasure of directing Mr. Chambers and an extraordinary cast and crew as he led them to a standing ovation almost every night," Rick Wade wrote in a letter to the Capital. "He was a powerful performer and a lasting influence on all who worked with him."

Mr. Chambers reportedly studied marketing at the University of Maryland and fell in love with theatre via Colonial Players of Annapolis 40 years ago. Colonial Players' records show he helmed Auntie Mame there as early as the 1963-64 season.

Mr. Chambers moved to Key West, FL, in 2002.

For information about Colonial Players, visit http://www.cplayers.com.