Laura Bretherick – Managing Director

Laura Bretherick grew up in Ventnor, NJ and graduated from Wagner College in 2008 having earned a BA in theatre with a concentration in stage management. While attending school, she interned as an assistant stage manager for The New Jersey Opera Theatre for their summer production of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte. She also studied abroad in London where she interned for the Kings Head Theatre.  After graduating, she worked off Broadway with The Pearl Theatre Company as an assistant stage manager for the 2008 – 2009 season.  At the Pearl, she worked on Vieux Carre, Tartuffe, Twelfth Night, Nathan The Wise, and The Oedipus Cycle.  Her time with the GOCTC began in 2009 with Little Shop of Horrors and went on to include Oklahoma, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Anything Goes, and A Christmas Wonderland with the professional company as well as stage managing GOCTC Jr.s company production of The Magic of Broadway. She traveled with the GOCTC as the touring stage manager the regional tours of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and A Christmas Wonderland.

Michael Hartman (Artistic Director) – serves as the Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania State Senator Carolyn T. Comitta, representing the 19th State Senatorial District (Chester County). In this role, Hartman supervises a staff of ten, manages a robust intern program, and handles government relations with 30 municipalities and serves over 250,000 constituents. The Senator has an extensive legislative policy agenda, with Hartman overseeing key areas such as education, mental health, local government, LGBTQ+ issues, intellectual disabilities and autism, animal rights, and state funding for nonprofits and municipalities.

Additionally, Hartman is the Founding Artistic Director of the Greater Ocean City Theatre Company, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing high-caliber talent to the New Jersey shore. Under his vision and guidance, the company presents a full Broadway Musical Series featuring performers selected through auditions in New York City. The Greater Ocean City Theatre Company also boasts a successful summer Children’s Theatre Series and offers an extensive theatre, music, and dance education program that involves over 500 children each year.

Michael Hartman previously served as the Special Events/Public Relations Director for Ocean City, NJ. His responsibilities included programming entertainment at the historic Music Pier and producing many iconic Ocean City events, such as Night in Venice, First Night, Taffy Sculpting, the Baby Parade, the Air Show, Miss Ocean City Pageant, and more.

Hartman has been involved in pageant production and choreography across over 20 states and four Miss America Preliminary Programs including Miss Philadelphia. He served as the National Producer for America’s National Teenager, based in Nashville, TN, and he is the founder of the Miss West Chester University pageant. He was honored to serve on the judging panel for Miss Oklahoma’s Outstanding Teen 2015 (4th runner up in Orlando) and as head judge for the 2016 Miss New York Competition (2nd Runner Up at Miss America).

He has also worked as a choreographer and a member of the production team for various parades, including the Philadelphia/6 ABC Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Miss America Show Us Your Shoes Parade, the National Memorial Day Parade, the Cherry Blossom Parade, the Chester County Christmas Parade, and the Nashville Christmas Parade.

Hartman was recognized on the Top 40 Under 40 list for the Southern New Jersey region, was inducted into West Chester University’s Legacy of Leadership, and received keys to both Ocean City and the Borough of West Chester for his contributions to the arts. In 2024, Hartman was elected to the Board of Directors for the West Chester University Alumni Association and this past spring, was appointed to the Borough of West Chester’s Visual Arts Commission.

In his spare time, he is a certified instructor for Les Mills BodyPUMP, BodyCOMBAT, and BodyATTACK group exercise classes. Michael Hartman resides in West Chester, PA, with his husband, Jonathan Kreamer, and their rescue dog, Brody.

Janice Hartman (Business Manager) – has been the volunteer treasurer and business manager for the Ocean City Theatre Company since its founding in 2007. With nearly 50 years of experience as a legal secretary, Janice is dedicated to fostering an environment where children and students can express themselves. This passion drives her to volunteer for OCTC, where she manages a complex nonprofit budget and oversees grants.