The Team
Who We Are

Stephanie Van Hassel
Director, Muenster
Big Cheese Theatre is one of a few passion projects of Stephanie Van Hassel, a long time educator and theatre enthusiast. Stephanie started her community theatre journey in 1997 when she joined a production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." She was bitten by the acting bug and the rest, as they say, is history. She started Big Cheese Theatre in the back of her comic book store in 2022 to give local kids acting opportunities beyond summer camps. While the store is gone, the theatre company is steadily growing each year. Stephanie currently works at John W. Moore Middle School as a teacher and co-owns a publishing business called Media Press, Inc.
Tom Havener
Summer Camp Director, Swiss/Provolone
Tom Havener is no stranger to the stage! He has been active in community theatre for many years and most recently made his appearance as Mr. Beauregarde in Big Cheese Theatre's 2023 production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He has also served as the stage manager for Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.


Alethia Hummel
Director/Playwright
Alethia started volunteering with BCT during the Winter 2023 production of "Selfie." She brings many years of experience with children's theatre, management, and marketing to our organization. In addition to directing, Alethia is a talented playwright who has contributed scripts for our company to perform for summer camp. She's also rumored to make some ah-mazing rice krispies treats!
Jenni Blackwell
Costume design/Backstage Boss Lady
Jenni has blessed us with her costuming talents at Big Cheese Theatre since our Summer Camp of 2023. As a seasoned dance mom, she is no stranger to making sure everyone looks stage-ready and fabulous! Jenni also assists with stage management and prop acquisition.



Maddie Smith
Intern, White Cheddar
Maddie is a student at Scotland Early College High School. She helps with many of the production aspects of Big Cheese Theatre, including playbill and flyer design, set design, and organizing other tasks related to marketing. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, listening to music, playing drums, watching horror movies, and designing things with friends.
