Who was Stephanie Bissonnette? Mean Girls musical star dies aged 32

Stephanie Bissonnette recently died at the age of 32 (Image via stephbizz14/Instagram)

Popular stage choreographer Stephanie Bissonnette passed away on December 17 at the age of 32.

She was mostly known for her work in the popular musical, Mean Girls. The official social media page of the musical paid tribute to her by saying:

“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.”

In the past, Bissonnette had suffered from medulloblastoma, one of the most common types of brain tumor. However, it remains unknown if it played any role in her death, as her health history is currently unavailable.

Stephanie Bissonnette also appeared in documentaries and music videos

Stephanie Bissonnette was a famous dancer and choreographer (Image via stephbizz14/Instagram)

Born on October 26, 1990, Stephanie Bissonnette pursued her graduation at the Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Point Pak University. She eventually became a choreographer.

She had a successful career as a choreographer and worked for The Muny, Riverside Theatre, Seven Angels Theatre, and Shakespeare Theatre Company. While the musical Mean Girls was being planned, she managed to grab the role of Dawn Schweitzer.

Bissonnette appeared in a documentary, Ensemble, released in 2020. She was also featured in the music video for the single, Never Comin’ Down, by Keith Urban.

She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in early 2019, and she underwent surgery for it in February the same year. She revealed a few days later that she was cancerous and had to undergo six weeks of radiation at a center in New York. The treatment was scheduled for five days each week and she had to take a break from her performance for nine months.

According to SurvivorNet, she thought that she could never dance again and that the time between her surgery and radiation was the toughest phase for her. She said:

“It almost felt worse because I just wanted to start so I could be done. So, I just kind of sat in my room for a month, upset. It wasn’t a pretty time. I was definitely crying a lot. I felt nervous. I thought my career was over. … I started thinking about things like, what would I do if I can’t do this for a living anymore?”