The Show Must Go On!
These are the folks who make it happen
Steve Steiner
PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Steve has had a long career in the performing arts, beginning over 59 years ago when his first paying job at 14 was in a rock and roll band. Steve attended Webster University studying music. Following several years as a professional musician and avocational actor, Steve went back to school for a year toward as Masters Degree in Acting. Steve then headed to NY at age 30 to give Broadway a try. Over the next 16 years he was fortunate to work almost nonstop in the theatre, including 3 Broadway: Anything Goes 1987 revival, Buddy Holly…The Buddy Holly Story and State Fair, 3 Off-Broadway: Annie Warbucks (Senator Vandenberg, U/S Warbucks), Return to the Forbidden Planet (Dr. Prospero and 5 musical instruments), Honky Tonk Highway (MD, Orchestrations, Vocal arrangements and Actor), 6 National Tours and dozens of Regional Productions. In late 1997 Steve applied for and was offered the Artistic Director position at Surflight Theatre, and moved to Beach Haven in February 1998.
In addition to his work at Surflight, Steve has directed 4 National Tours, 8 major Casino Productions and more than 50 Regional Productions in 17 states, including Ring Of Fire, All Shook Up, Buddy…The Buddy Holly Story, Spitfire Grill and Once for Laguna Playhouse. In addition to his work in the theatre, Steve is on the boards of: The South Jersey Cultural Alliance (Past President) and The Ocean County Tourism Advisory Committee (Chair). He served for many years as Treasurer of ArtPride NJ, and continues on their Finance Committee. He served 10 years on the Council (Board) of Actors’ Equity Association as the Chair of Developing Theatre and Guest Artist. Steve is the proud recipient of The Cultural Access Task Force’s Innovator Award for his forward thinking and hiring practices for Artists with Disabilities.
Gail Anderson
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / PRODUCTION MANAGER
PRESS DIRECTOR / CASTING DIRECTOR
Gail has been involved in the theatrical business in many capacities for over 30 years. Originally a ballet dancer, she went on to perform in various roles in musical theatre; some favorites including Mona in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Sheila and Cassie in A Chorus Line, Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street, Velma in Chicago as well as numerous ensemble roles as a dancer.
A graduate of the University of Virginia in Technical Theatre, Ms. Anderson went on to Stage Manage professionally as an AEA Stage Manager in various venues regionally and in NYC specializing mostly in large musicals, but also including Opera and Dance. She also served in numerous theatres in other technical and design capacities as Costume Designer, Scenic Designer, Wig and Makeup Designer, Electrician, Carpenter, Public Relations, Press, House Manager and now enjoys Producing, Production and Tour Management as her career. She is also proud to serve as a Master Class teacher for several Universities and High Schools.
Paula Hammons Sloan
BUSINESS MANAGER / DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Along with a background in mathematics and accounting and serving as General Manager of Surflight Theatre, her work as Director/Choreographer and Master Teacher has been recognized nationally for over 40 years. Ms. Sloan has directed or choreographed numerous National tours including: 42nd Street, Singin’ in the Rain, Music Man, Cabaret, Bye Bye Birdie, Little Women, Urban Cowboy, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Copacabana, Funny Girl, George M, Titanic, My One and Only, Crazy for You and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Ms, Sloan has mounted several productions at the Tropicana Resort and Casino, Resorts in Atlantic City and El Dorado Casino in Reno. She directed and choreographed Miracle on 34th Street (Jersey Shore Entertainment) on the West Coast, at the Tropicana Resort and Casino and on tour. She was choreographer for Jekyll and Hyde and Singin’ in the Rain for the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino Broadway Series in Atlantic City which also played for an extended run at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood Florida.
Ms. Sloan has directed and/or choreographed regionally including, The Laguna Playhouse (Once, I Love You Your Perfect Now Change, Spitfire Grill, Footloose, All Shook Up, Hairspray, Ring of Fire and Buddy the Buddy Holly Story). Kansas City Starlight (The Producers, Anything Goes), Casa Manana (Oklahoma), West Virginia Public Theatre, Surflight Theatre (Steel Pier, A Christmas Story, On Your Toes, Sisters of Swing, Lady Be Good, Ragtime, Mamma Mia, Holiday Inn, Cabaret, Joseph, Will Rogers, White Christmas, Ebenezer among others), Gateway Playhouse, Plan B Productions (The Producers, Footloose), Theatre Under the Stars (Houston) (110 in the Shade, Wonderful Life, Disney’s When You Wish), the Houston Symphony, the Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade and opening ceremonies of the 100th Anniversary Convention of Girl Scouts. She was Resident Choreographer for Galveston Summer Musicals for over 45 productions and her former tap company, Texas Tap Ensemble, toured Nationally and Internationally for several years.
Ruth Blankemeyer
GROUP SALES DIRECTOR
Ruth joined the staff at Surflight Theatre in 2003 as a Group Sales Associate. Over the years, she has served in many different positions including General Manager, Business Director, Group Sales Director and Marketing Director. When the theatre reopened in 2017, Ruth happily returned to reprise her role as Group Sales Director. She has fond memories of attending Surflight’s Children’s shows in the 1960s before the new theatre was built.
Originally from Moorestown, New Jersey and a lifelong summer resident of Long Beach Island, Ruth has lived year ‘round in Surf City since 1999. She is a graduate of Drexel University with a degree in Human Behavior and Development and holds several professional designations from her previous field of employment. Prior to coming to Surflight, Ruth spent seventeen years working in the glamorous insurance industry in Marketing, Customer Service and Compliance positions. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and Dachshunds, Joey and Jesse.
Mary Beth Smartt
BOX OFFICE MANAGER / DEVELOPMENT MANAGER/ PLAYBILL AD MANAGER / WEBMASTER
Mary Beth was born and raised in New Jersey. She has a BA from Albright College. She spent 20+ years in the software industry in the
DC-metro area and Boston. She semi-retired from technology and became a real estate agent on LBI. She then went to work for a mortgage company and was there for over eight years. From 2004-2012, she ushered and worked part-time in the Surflight Box Office. In 2017, she was offered the full time positions and accepted with enthusiasm! Mary Beth took a year off after a couple of tough COVID years and now she’s BACK!!
Jordan Polefka
ASSISTANT EDUCATION DIRECTOR/
ASSISTANT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Jordan is an emerging professional who graduated from Wagner College with a B.S. in Music Education PreK-12. She has performed on stage at Surflight Theatre in Escape to Margaritaville (Ensemble), Something Rotten (Portia) and Cinderella (Cinderella). Jordan also worked with the Beach Haven School to direct and choreograph The Lion King, Kids and The Little Mermaid, Jr. She has been OPTC's Assistant Director of Education for the last 3 years and was hired to be the Development Assistant as well.
Chris Strangfeld
RESIDENT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR /
SCENIC DESIGNER
Chris is a theatre professional from Manahawkin, NJ. He has acted as Technical Director and Scenic Designer for almost every production at Surflight from 2020-2024, favorite credits here include Cabaret, Almost Heaven, Xanadu, Ebenezer, The Addams Family, and Chess. Other notable TD credits include Dogfight, Heathers, Violet, Next to Normal, A Christmas Story, American Idiot, and Jekyll & Hyde. Other notable scenic design credits include The Spitfire Grill and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change for The Laguna Playhouse, The Glass Menagerie, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Musical, A Christmas Story, and Jekyll & Hyde for various theatre companies around the Pittsburgh, PA area. Chris has also acted and directed at Surflight.
As a Director and Actor, he directed Almost, Maine at Surflight in 2021. Other recent directing credits: Next to Normal, Heathers, A Christmas Story, and James and the Giant Peach at various companies in the Greater Pittsburgh, PA area. Acting credits include: Nigel Bottom in Something Rotten, Hector McQueen in Murder on the Orient Express, Harry Haywood in War of the Worlds, Eddie Birdlace in Dogfight, Jack in Into the Woods, Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, and Charlie Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.