Broadway dancer and choreographer Stephanie Bissonnette, who appeared in the original Broadway production of “Mean Girls the Musical,” has died at 32.
“Our hearts are broken as the Mean Girls community mourns the loss of Stephanie Bissonnette,” the musical’s official Twitter account shared on Sunday.
Bissonnette played high school student Dawn Schweitzer in the original Broadway production of “Mean Girls.”
“She filled our theater with her laughter and friendship, inspired us with her fighting spirit and bravery, and graced our stage with the fiercest talent Broadway has ever known,” the “Mean Girls” production also tweeted.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Stephanie’s family, friends, and the entire Mean Girls community during this time,” the production added. “We will miss her profoundly and encourage everyone to do something they love today in Stephanie’s honor.”
Bissonnette was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in 2019, according to her obituary in Playbill.
She sensed something was wrong when she felt a “twinge” in her brain while dancing, she said in a 2020 interview with SurvivorNet.
She subsequently had a brain tumor removed and underwent radiation treatments.
Earlier this year, Bissonnette appeared in “Ensemble,” a documentary about how Broadway dancers coped with the shutting of theaters during the pandemic.
According to Playbill, Bissonnette took part in multiple charitable projects throughout her career, including contributing to “When The Lights Are Bright Again,” a book about the covid shutdown whose sales benefited the Entertainment Community Fund.
Bissonnette also taught dance at the Broadway Dance Center, which she considered her “second home,” according to her teacher bio on the center’s website.
