05/22/2026
Meet the Teachers!
Chris Strangfeld (Director, Technical Director, Designer) is excited to provide the students of Ocean County, NJ with a comprehensive, educational, and foundational performing arts program, the STAC Young Playmakers. Chris is a local performing arts professional with expertise in several areas of theatre. Chris serves as the Director of Education at Algonquin Arts Theatre, where he oversees the robust education department, teaches theatre classes, and works to develop the program into the best educational experience it can be. Chris is also a director, with recent credits including Almost, Maine and Daddy Long Legs at Surflight Theatre, James and the Giant Peach, A Christmas Story, Next to Normal, and Heathers at Comtra Theatre, and (upcoming 2027) Tootsie at Algonquin Arts Theatre. Chris served as Technical Director at Surflight Theatre from 2020-2025, where he scenic designed over 40 mainstage musicals and plays, and designed lights and sound for several productions. Locally, Chris recently designed the sets for A Monster Calls and Mamma Mia at OCVTS Performing Arts Academy and The Wedding Singer at Toms River North High School. Chris has a passion for student development, holding a MA in Higher Education from Geneva College, where he completed graduate assistantships in Student Leadership and Retention, and in Theatre. His capstone studies were about the positive effects of participation in theatre for student development. Chris is excited to begin the Young Playmakers program at STAC with his beautiful fiancee, Jordan, and looks forward to making theatre performance an educational, transformative, and fun experience for the students of Ocean County.
Jordan Polefka (Music Director, Choreographer) couldn't be more thrilled to begin the Young Playmakers program at STAC and offer the local students an opportunity to produce a show with their peers this summer. Jordan is a certified Music Education teacher PreK-12 and a Vocal Performance Specialist. Recent performance credits include Jovie in Elf!, Portia in Something Rotten, Annelle Dupuy-Desoto in Steel Magnolias, Pickles in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Ensign Dinah Murphy in South Pacific, and ensemble in Escape to Margaritaville, 42nd Street, and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Surflight Theatre. She has also played several roles in children's theatre, including Cinderella in Cinderella and Glinda/Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz. Jordan served as the Assistant Director of Education and General Management Assistant at Surflight, where she taught performing arts camps for ages 3-17, taught those students voice and dance, oversaw a high school apprentice program, and worked to train college-age interns in arts management and education. Jordan is a cantor at her church, St Theresa's, in Little Egg Harbor. She frequently teaches private voice lessons, and is a classically trained soprano. Jordan trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, and pointe at Stewart Johnson Dance Academy, and was on competitive dance teams in high school and college. Jordan was professionally trained in vocal performance primarily by Judith Nicosia and Elizabeth Perryman. Jordan is ecstatic to be working alongside her fiance, Chris, to inspire the local youth to love the performing arts as much as she does.
