Delaware Valley student wins prestigious actors' union award

John Pinto received actors’ equity association “Roger Sturtevant Award” WESTFALL - Delaware Valley High School senior, John Pinto, is the winner of the “Roger Sturtevant Award” presented each year by Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) to Equity Member Candidates (EMC) who have demonstrated outstanding abilities in the field of musical theater. This is the second year the award is given and presented to an actor and an actress who, through the EMC program, earn credits towards membership in Equity, the national union representing 45,000 professional stage actors and stage managers. The award consists of a certificate accompanied by a $1000 check. Equity President Patrick Quinn said, “John is a very talented young man and we are pleased to present him with this award. The judges were unanimous in their praise of his vocal range, his stage presence and his acting abilities. This is clearly a young actor we will all know about in the future.” Mr. Pinto was encouraged to enter an audition tape for consideration by his Drama teacher Kim Golden and Vocal coach Sandy Statler, both of whom had high praise for the young actor. He credits Ms. Golden and Ms. Statler, as well his Dance instructor Melissa Thomas, with helping him learn and hone his craft. He said of the award, “I am truly honored and this means a lot to me. It acknowledges I’m on the right path and all the support my family and my teachers have given me is in this recognition.” Pinto, who graduates in June, has been active in the drama club and recently was awarded the Student Recognition Award for Drama. He appeared last summer at the Forestburgh Playhouse where he accumulated weeks as an EMC performing in “West Side Story,” “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers” and “South Pacific”. Other credits include the Pocono Playhouse productions of “Shrek” (Donkey), “Beauty And The Beast” (Jacques), “Alice In Wonderland”, “Cinderella” and “The Little Mermaid”; “Bye Bye Birdie” (Conrad) and “How To Succeed In Business” with the Presby Players and in school productions of “Seussical”, “Smokey Joe’s Café” and “Annie Get Your Gun”. Pinto also appeared at the United Nations for fund raisers for those affected by the Tsunami and the Katrina Hurricane. His most recent appearance was in “Pickles & The Junkman’s Daughter” and the Delaware Valley presentation of “The Music Man”. In addition to his stage work, John loves to draw and paint and spend time with his close-knit family. He is the son of John Pinto, who owns and operates Stone Design Inc., and Moreen, a specialty cake decorator. He has one brother Joseph, 13, a young athlete. His academic achievements include the Pennsylvania Certificate of Distinction for Advanced Level in Math and another for Reading . Pinto will enter the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York City in the fall. The Roger Sturtevant Award is in honor of the famed Casting Director who inspired and nurtured the careers of talented young actors and actresses in musical theater. The Actors’ Equity Association panel of judges for the Award were: Equity President Quinn, First Vice President Mark Zimmerman, casting directors Pat McCorkle, Geoffrey Johnson and Steve De Angelis; and Sturtevant family members.