Meet Melissa Leach | Co-Owner/Artistic Director of The Three Leaches

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Leach and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what is the most important factor behind your success?
When Amber Irish, my Co-owner/Production Manager, and I decided to open a theater company eleven years ago, the first question we asked ourselves was, “How will we be different? What is going to set us apart from all the other small theater companies?” We knew that our passion for the arts was tied to bringing quality, exciting, and impactful theater to the masses. We often talked about how theater had become the rich man’s hobby. We know that putting on a show costs money, but we were amazed at how ticket prices in the area kept going up. When the cheapest tickets are hitting $20 (again, this was about eleven years ago- we know inflation/cost of living changes things), the arts are no longer for everyone. Many people aren’t exposed to theater because of cost and we wanted to change that. The question became: how? The nice thing about theater, as opposed to other arts, is that is can be done minimally. Amber and I firmly believe that if you have the right story, the right actors and the right energy, you don’t need expensive, elaborate sets, costumes or props. The audience will come on this journey with you because of the story you ‘re telling.

So we decided that The Three Leaches Theatre Company would only spend $1000 per show (at the time this included rental fees) and then we could keep our ticket prices low. I think this was important to our success for two reasons: 1. in creating this budget, we didn’t allow ourselves to spend more than we made, which is easy to do in this industry. It forced us to be frugal AND creative and I honestly believe this is a big part of how we are still up and running today. (If I used a fraction of my business budgeting skills in my personal life, I’d be rich…but alas…) 2. We created the tag-line, “Theater under $1000 that doesn’t suck!” and it drew people in. Up until recently, we would always tell the audience how much we spent on the show, whether we made it under budget or not. I think our audience really respected our honesty. It helped us grow a fan base and we’re so fortunate that they continue to support our work! It’s always super thrilling to see our regulars in the audience. Recently we had to exclude rental fees from our $1000 budget- it just isn’t feasible anymore with the cost of living in Denver sky rocketing… but we still keep the rights, costumes, props, and set under $1000. And our ticket prices are currently $16. I’m proud that we’ve been able to remain faithful to our mission and truly believe it has played a large part in our success as a company.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The Three Leaches is a theater company that truly believes that as long as you have the right story and the right actors, you have a performance. We are dedicated to bringing quality, engaging art to the stage that is affordable to the masses. It hasn’t been an easy journey- we’ve had to move theaters numerous times because rental fees add up or spaces get full, we’ve had to change a planned season due to other shows in the area, or because of a global pandemic. But no matter what, we always land on our feet. And I am very proud of that.

I’d say the biggest challenge Amber and I have faced has been the blatant sexism in business. As two young (well, we were young once…) women who built our company from the ground up, we constantly have to prove ourselves. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve agreed to a price, usually a space to rent, and then when I read the contract, the numbers are different. I don’t know if they know that women are allowed to be literate now or what… but somehow, they think I’m going to sign something without reading it. This has yet to happen to me when I’m working with another woman. Now that my dad lives in the area, he often helps direct or act, and again, more often than not, when he’s with us, everyone defers to him. As an older white male, he must be in charge, right? Even AFTER Amber and I have introduced ourselves as the owners, even AFTER my dad has said numerous times to talk to us because he is just working for us, people think he can override our decisions. Amber and I once introduced ourselves to an actor who was auditioning for our season and he said, and I quote, “Wait, you guys own the company? That’s cute.” It is incredibly frustrating and obviously something that most women battle daily. We just have to keep fighting the good fight.

What do I want the world to know? I want the world to know that art isn’t measured by how famous you become or how much money you make doing it. I used to think that in order to consider myself a successful artist, I needed to check these boxes. My company has helped me see that art is art is art. Whether you perform for 100 people or 3 people, you are creating something beautiful that will impact the people around you. That is a magical thing. If it gives you joy, find a way to do it that works for you and continues to make you happy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ooh I love hosting friends in Denver!

Food and Drink: Work and Class, Welton St. Cafe, Aloy Thai- all of these places have delicious, authentic food that just hits the spot every single time! For drinks, I’d go for First Draft since it’s a cool, different experience, 1up because I love me some arcade games, and The Dew Drop Inn, which is a cute new cocktail bar near me.

Places to see: I love taking people to Red Rocks- either for a concert or a hike. It is such an unreal view and there is nothing like it. I really love doing a mural tour in Rino to see all of the local art. I’d also try to get tickets for a show, maybe at The Curious, because I love their edgy works and the space is just gorgeous.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out my co-creator, Amber Irish, for jumping into my dream head-first with absolutely no plan and helping me achieve it! There would be no company without her and she’s my ultimate support/thought partner. She’s also one of the best damn actresses out there! Her talent knows no bounds.

I’m also incredibly grateful to my family for always supporting my love of the arts and picking me up when times get hard.

Website: www.thethreeleaches.com

Instagram: @thethreeleaches

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thethreeleachesDENVER

Image Credits
Photography by Nicki Seefried