the executioner’s wife

Maria Berte (Lady in Waiting) is looking forward to taking the stage in Pantochino’s newest production! She was last seen in Christmas Cookies as Mrs. Baker. Here are a few beloved Pantochino shows she has the pleasure of being involved in: Cinderella Italiano, Noni Cimino’s Kitchen and The Waffle House Five. Maria would like to thank Bert, Jimmy and Justin for all their creative talents!! Maria would like to express her deep love to her entire family, particularly her warrior Dad!!!

Katie Durham (Minerva)Katie is excited to be back on the Pantochino Stage, recently been seen in Christmas Cookies as well as the original production of Glitz in 2012 as Cheryl Spangles.  She starred as William Barfee in Magnolia Theatre Company's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Snoopy in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Connecticut Irish Theatre Troupe's production of Bookworms as Jennifer.  She graduated in 2007 from Assumption College with a degree in English and a minor in Theatre.  Katie would like to thank Bert, Jimmy, Justin, and the rest of the Pantochino team for this opportunity!

Mary Mannix (Amelia) A founding member of Pantochino, past roles with the company include Bernice Britchard in Checking in on Charles, Jaycee Rae in The Waffle House Five, Dorothy in The Wicked Witch of the West, Ventura in Noni Cimino's Kitchen, and Cinderella in both Cinderella Skeleton and Cinderella Italiano. Other regional credits include Maria in West Side Story, Susy in Wait Until Dark, and Charlotte in A Little Night Music. Roles at Branford's Legacy Theatre include Brandy in the world premiere of Just Desserts, Daisy in the professional premiere of Joe Landry's The Great Gatsby: A Live Radio Play, and most recently as Sandra in The Play That Goes Wrong. A recipient of the Goodspeed Guild Music Theater Award, Mary holds a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre from The Catholic University of America. She resides in Killingworth with her husband Scott, and their four children, Sean, Rowan, Nora, and Brennan. Endless gratitude and much love to her family for their support.

Jimmy Johansmeyer (King) is co-producer and resident costume designer at Pantochino! Recent roles include Vinny in And Away We Go, Bob Scratchit in Christmas Carol, Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show and Chris in The Play That Goes Wrong at Branford’s Legacy Theatre. 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 and several others . His costume designs and creations have been seen throughout the country and include Cold As Ice starring Oxsana Baiul at Gateway Playhouse on Long Island, the Off-Broadway premiere of Matthew Passion and at The Theatre Barn, Cortland Repertory Theatre, Gorilla Theatre Tampa, The Emelin Theatre NY, Allenberry Playhouse, PA, Arundel Barn Playhouse, ME, to name a few. He teaches costume design at the R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of the Performing Arts in Hartford and continues his work as a freelance costume designer and actor.

Susan Kulp (Queen) was last on the MAC stage as Snooky in Pantochino’s  production of Away We Go.  Recent credits: Grumpy Old Men (Ariel) Seven Angels Theatre; Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts) Legacy Theatre; Angels in America (Angel) & Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Martha) Madison Lyric Stage; Barbecue (Lillie Ann), Collective Consciousness Theater; Annapurna (Emma), NHTC.  Susan is a company member with New Haven Theater Company (NHTC), can be seen and heard in commercial, print, VO and “acts” as a Simulated Patient/SP Educator for Quinnipiac & Yale University Medical & Nursing schools. Happy to be back romping on the stage with the Pantochino gang!

Killian Meehan (Magistrate)

Shelley Marsh Poggio (Hildegund)\) was bitten by the acting bug at the age of 14 as Daisy Mae in Li'l Abner and has since performed in theaters throughout CT and abroad, most notably at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival . She is proud to be an established Company Member of Pantochino and has won several Connecticut region Broadway World Awards, most recently for the 2022 Best Supporting Performer In A Musical for her role as Honeysuckle Jones in Checking In On Charles. Some favorite Pantochino shows include the title roles in The Wicked Witch Of The West, Kansas or Bust (2015 Broadway World Best Actress in a Musical winner) , The Brothers Grimm & A Showgirl and The Bewitchingly Scrumptious Mister Trick & Mrs. Treat.  Much love and thanks to her Family for their unwavering support and to Bert, Jimmy & Justin for their endless creativity XO

Josiah Rowe (Arvin) (Arvin) is delighted to make his Pantochino Productions debut. Josiah frequently works with Legacy Theatre in Branford, where past roles have included Claudius in Hamlet, Tom in The Great Gatsby, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, and Winnie-the-Pooh. Other favorite roles include Atticus, To Kill a Mockingbird (Landmark Community Theatre, Thomaston) and the Pirate King, Pirates of Penzance (Alliance Theatre). Josiah has also worked with Warner Theatre in Torrington, Capital Classics in Hartford, and Yale Rep in New Haven. However, his favorite role is Daddy to Ashlin (12), Diana (9) and Verity (5). Love and thanks to Erin

Justin Rugg (Drogo) is an actor, singer and composer  who attended Lebanon Valley College where he double-majored in Music Theory/Composition and Percussion Performance. For Pantochino Productions Inc. Onstage, he has appeared in over 20 plays on musicals including Pantochino’s Christmas Carol playing Scrooge and Panto of the Opera playing the Phantom. Justin also serves as Pantochino’s Resident Music Director and Composer. Many of his family-friendly musicals are published, licensed and performed around the country (www.stagerights.com) He was part of the award-winning cast of Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story in Cortland, NY and debuted his cabaret, Predictable Heart: The Music of Justin Rugg at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre in New York City. He also work teaching young actors and composing several new projects with his writing partner, Bert Bernardi.

George Spelvin (Cassoulet) considers himself not only as an actor, but also as a cheese who, over time, ripens with a richer aroma, flavor and appearance and pairs nicely with a chianti.

Mary Margaret Pelkey (Stage Manager, She/Her)  is a 2024 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University with a B.A. in Theatre. Her previous Stage Management experience includes Anon(ymous) (SCSU), Gallathea (SCSU), Mere Timing (SCSU), Out of Bounds (SCSU). Other notable productions include The Laramie Project (Director), The Wizard of Oz (Choreographer), Bye Bye Birdie (Choreographer), Beauty & the Beast (Choreographer), Guys and Dolls (Choreographer). She is a 2022 Kennedy Center American College Theatre National Stage Management Award winner andhas been regionally nominated for her work in stage management multiple times. 

Bert Bernardi (Director) is the co-producer and co-founder of Pantochino Productions Inc and has been bringing ‘ridiculously entertaining’ theatre to the Milford since 2010. He is the former Artistic Director of the Children’s Company in Bridgeport and his work has been seen extensively at Cortland Repertory Theatre (NY), The Theatre Barn (NY), Millbrook Playhouse (PA) and the Surflight Theatre (NJ). His work as also been seen at Legacy Theatre (CT), Fairfield University, New York University Steinhardt School, Music Theatre North (NY), the Boston Post Road Stage Company, Arundel Barn (NY) and TheatreWorks New Milford. With composer Justin Rugg, he has penned many, many new musicals, several of which are published, licensed and performed around the country. Bert is a recipient of the Connecticut Critics Circle Tom Killen Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre in Connecticut.