Meet our Staff

Cheryl Fanene Lane is the founder and Executive Director of Luminary Theatre Company, where she draws on decades of diverse experience in theatre, education, and administration. Cheryl’s love for theatre began at the age of 10 when she stepped onto the stage as Lucy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. By high school, she was already sharing her passion through teaching, sparking an early career as a teaching artist. Over the years, she has developed theatre curricula for young people, trained educators to integrate drama into their classrooms, and immersed herself in nearly every facet of theatre—from performing to production.

Cheryl’s administrative expertise includes her role as Director of Outreach for Artivate, where she championed cultural arts programming for underserved audiences across the DMV region. Her career also includes touring with Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program and collaborating with numerous theatres and organizations, such as The National Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Smithsonian’s Discovery Theatre, Troika Touring Company, Signrise Deaf Theatre, and The Lazy Susan Dinner Theatre. Her work has extended into unique spaces, including the National Museum of the American Indian and the Udvar-Hazy Space Center.

For nearly a decade, Cheryl directed the Washington Revels May Day Celebration in partnership with the National Audubon Society and the Washington National Cathedral, while also leading numerous festivals and events for the Revels. As a founding member of the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices, she has performed at iconic landmarks such as President Lincoln’s Cottage, the National Archives, and the Library of Congress. Cheryl’s work with Jubilee Voices includes appearances on PBS’s Time Team America and music contributions to the PBS series Mercy Street. Additionally, she is a featured vocalist on several Washington Revels recordings.

Her more recent theatrical credits include the Capital Fringe Festival, Dark Horse Theatre Company, and in productions with community theatres such as the Lake of the Woods Players and The Art Factory. Cheryl studied Musical Theatre at Montgomery College and earned a nursing degree from George Mason University, complementing her artistic endeavors with a career as a registered nurse since 2014.

With a wealth of experience and an unwavering passion for the arts, Cheryl is dedicated to making Luminary Theatre Company a beacon of creative storytelling and community engagement.

Michelle has performed, both vocally and theatrically, for the last 40+ years, having worked on well over 50 shows in her life, including her own concert, “Full Circle” in 2019. Her goal is to have a talented group of people to perform with and to expand the opportunities of theatre, art and performance in our area.

Jenny Wassom began her love for Theatre and Fine Arts from a young age. Growing up in Texas, she enjoyed performing from the age of 5. She grew up singing in many public and private choirs and participating on and off stage in community and educational Theatre. After receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts from West Texas A&M, Jenny furthered her education by achieving a Masters of Education from Grand Canyon University. Jenny has been teaching Theatre & Fine Arts for the past 15 years in several countries. Her career started through her husband’s commitment to the US ARMY, which led to international education. This allowed the opportunity to finish her student teaching with the Department of Defense Education Activity in Italy. After receiving her teaching credentials, she then taught states-side in Maryland and Texas. Jenny has showcased her commitment to providing the best Fine Arts education possible and soon received the opportunity to work with Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Bahrain School in Bahrain, and now here in Quantico Middle High School. Time has been spent developing curriculum that provides young students with creative artistic experimentation, expression of oneself, valuing aesthetics, making connections, and building confidence. 

Jenny is deeply passionate about all areas of theatre, music, art, and education. She is fully committed to providing a safe and artistic environment that can assist in the development of contributing members of our society. “It is important to help students build the necessary skills and tools to contribute to their own passions and community.”

Jenny married her college sweetheart, James Wassom, in 2002 and they have two sons, Jackson and Cooper, who also find joy and appreciation for the fine arts. In her down time, Jenny enjoys auditioning and participating in community theatre within the area. She is very excited to work with Luminary Theatre Company. She is thrilled to be apart of the successful journey in contributing to the Fine Arts in this area.