Pantochino Productions Inc. is a professional non-profit 501 c 3 tax exempt theatre company specializing in theatre for the entire family. Founded in 2010, our mission is to entertain, engage and enrich young audiences and their families with an array of original, affordable, professional entertainment experiences, and provide positive, nurturing training to young actors.

Non-Discriminatory Policy Pantochino Productions Inc. does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. Pantochino Productions Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Pantochino Productions Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, activities and employment practices.

Bert Bernardi

Bert Bernardi is an actor, director and playwright of over two hundred original musicals. His extensive theatrical experience includes Artistic Director of the former Downtown Cabaret Children’s Company (28 years!), Artistic Director of The Theatre Barn in New Lebanon, New York, and Associate Artistic Director of Millbrook Playhouse in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania.  His work has also been seen at Music Theatre North, NY, The Arundel Barn Playhouse, ME, Surflight Theatre, NJ, the former Boston Post Road Stage Company, CT, Theatreworks New Milford, CT, The Legacy Theatre in Branford and Theatre Fairfield at Fairfield University. Bert also has his long association with Cortland Repertory Theatre in Central State New York where he has worked as a Guest Director for over a decade. With composer Justin Rugg, his original musicals have been published and licensed by internationally-known Steel Spring StageRights, and was commissioned to create an original musical for students at NYU’s Steinhardt School.  With composer Scott Simonelli, he has adaptations of award-winning children’s books include Cinderella Skeleton, Auntie Claus and The Adventures of Dish & Spoon.  Bert has served on the Nominating Committee for the Connecticut High School Musical Theatre Awards and has received the Cultural Contribution Award of Distinction from the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerece. For his life work in this field, Bert was bestowed the Connecticut Critics Circle Tom Killen Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre in Connecticut. www.bertbernardi.com

Jimmy Johansmeyer

Jimmy Johansmeyer is an award-winning actor, costume designer and educator. For sixteen years, he was the ‘resident villain’ with the former Downtown Cabaret Children’s Company. A graduate of Marist College, Jimmy has performed on hundreds of stages including New York Stage & Film/Powerhouse Theatre, NY, Wallkill River Repertory, NY, The Theatre Barn, NY, Millbrook Playhouse, PA, The Legacy Theatre in Branford and on the Main Stage of the Downtown Cabaret Theatre. His costume designs and creations have been seen throughout the country and internationally and include Cold As Ice starring Oxsana Baiul at Gateway Playhouse on Long Island, My Kinda 60's starring Charles Busch at Below 54,  the Off-Broadway premiere of Matthew Passion and at The Theatre Barn, the 2023 Edinburg Festival Fringe, Cortland Repertory Theatre, Gorilla Theatre Tampa, The Emelin Theatre NY, Allenberry Playhouse, PA, Arundel Barn Playhouse, ME, to name a few. Recently, he costumes designed The Great American Mousical directed by Dame Julie Andrews for the Legacy Theater. Jimmy has led theatre camps, classes and in-school drama programs for the past seventeen years and currently teaches at the R. J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts in Hartford. In 2015, he was inducted to the Marist College Hall of Fame for his contribution to theatre, and he is the recipient of three Syracuse Area Live Theatre "Outstanding Costume Design" Awards for his work on Cortland Repertory Theatre's Always A Bridesmaid, The Thirty-Nine Steps and La Cage Aux Folles. Jimmy is also recipient of the Cultural Contribution Award of Distinction presented by the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Justin Rugg

Justin Rugg is a composer, actor, singer and multi-instrumentalist from New Jersey. He has been performing as a percussionist for over twenty years, and attended Lebanon Valley College for music composition, percussion performance and pedagogy. He is resident musical director here at Pantochino!

With Bert Bernardi, Justin has composed the scores to sixteen musicals for young audiences, six of which have been published by Steele Spring Stage Rights, Inc. He also provides music for summer camps and the After School Drama Club series, having written ten musicals for young performers. In 2012, he penned the score to Special Breakfast for NYU's Steinhardt School, and his one-man cabaret, Predictable Heart has been performed in Connecticut and in New York City.

He is recipient of five BroadwayWorld Awards including Best Musical Director, Best Supporting Actor in a Play ("The Little Dog Laughed") and Best Original/New Work ("Pirate Schmirate" and "Christmas Cookies) for Pantochino and was a member for the award-winning cast of "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" at Cortland Repertory Theatre. In 2022, Justin was voted top honors in the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “40 Under 40” Awards.

Company Members

Jimmy Johansmeyer, Actor / Costume Designer

Shelley Marsh Poggio, Actor

Justin Rugg, Actor / Composer

Mary Mannix, Actor

Maria Berte, Actor

Hannah Duffy, Actor

Valerie Solli, Actor

Joe Landry, Creative / Graphic Design

Don Poggio, Actor / Technician

Jeff Carr, Lighting Design  

Jakob Kelsey, Lighting Design        

Tyler Kittleman, Sound Design                                                       

Guest Teaching Artists

Jenn Dugan, Make up'

Lloyd Culbreath, Verdon/Fosse Dance

Sheryl McCallum, Actor/The Lion King
Lara Hayhurst Compton, Actor/Legally Blonde
Brian Michael Hoffman, Actor/Broadway Animal Handler
Will Porter, Actor/Cats
Adam Kaplan, Actor/ Newsies
Gaelen Gilliland, Actor/Wicked
Christopher Timson, Actor/Young Frankenstein
Kerry Conte, Actor/Mary Poppins
Kyle Metzger, Actor/Improvisation
Rin Allen, Actor/Stage Combat
Kenneth Llambelis, Make-up Artist
Steven Cardona, Dancer/Disney Teaching Artist
Kathleen Armenti, Actor/Improvisation  Becki Arena, Dance