Meet Melanie Gillespie

We were lucky to catch up with Melanie Gillespie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melanie , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

I wasn’t raised by an optimist: I was raised by a *super* optimist—my dad. He grew up in poverty with an alcoholic father, but he made a decision early on: he was going to make something of himself. His aunt, a renowned European model, saw his potential and took him under her wing, gifting him a guitar that changed his life. At 14, he left school and taught himself to play, forming a band in his late teens. The Gingermen. They toured the length and breadth of Ireland and one fateful night, during a gig, a guitarist’s string broke, and my dad took over the spotlight, telling jokes to fill the time. That spontaneous moment of brilliance transformed him from a musician to Ireland’s most beloved entertainer—a comedian and singer adored by thousands. Brendan Grace. I watched him in awe from the wings and the audience, learning from his unwavering optimism and belief that, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” That relentless drive shaped me. After losing our savings in the 2008 recession, I started my drama business in a friend’s basement while my husband stayed home with our two young boys. With hard work and determination, that single class grew into over 30 weekly classes, seven MainStage productions a year, workshops, birthday parties, and more. I also penned 2 children’s books and produced and starred in my own tv show on local access tv. During COVID, when our world was turned upside down, I refused to let our students’ mental health suffer. Together with my resilient team, I found creative ways to keep us connected, meeting in smaller outdoor groups to ensure our mission thrived. Like my dad, I don’t take “no” for an answer. When faced with challenges—whether it’s losing a venue, securing grants, or fighting to keep our rehearsal space—I find a solution. We currently don’t have our own theater space but I am working hard to change that. I believe, with every fiber of my being, that we’ll find a way to not just survive but thrive. My parents taught me to face every obstacle with grit and determination, and because of them, I know our best days are still ahead. Watch this space—because we’re only getting started.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I was born and raised in Ireland until I was 16, when my family moved to the United States. My father was asked to open for Frank Sinatra, and I studied theater in the states after doing a year and half of high school, in of all places, Jupiter FL. In 2011, I started Mel O’Drama, teaching drama to kids. Since then, I’ve started a nonprofit 501c3 organization called Mel O Musical for kids ages 5-18. We teach acting, singing, and dancing, and put on seven mainstage productions a year. Our goal is to build confidence in our kids, provide a safe environment for them to express themselves, and watch them grow with us. This season, we have productions of “Alice in Wonderland Jr.,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Mary Poppins,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” coming up. We are hopeful that we’ll receive some grants to keep our organization thriving. I also started a scholarship fund in my dad’s name and memory so that we can give scholarships to our underprivileged youth. Our ultimate goal is to find a theater space in which for us to rehearse, perform, build sets and store costumes.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I never thought, “I can’t do this.” I believed in myself, and as a result, others started to believe in me too. I have a strong work ethic and put in the work, knowing that I must do that if I expect a good return. I am a skilled communicator and continue to learn to communicate with empathy and kindness.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

As mentioned previously, we do not have our own theater space. We rent space in a church, for which we are eternally grateful, but unfortunately that space is being threatened due to it being potentially bought which could leave us looking for a new home. Ideally, not having to rehearse/build sets and store costumes in a separate building to our performance venue, would be ideal. Most theater production companies have their own theater spaces and that’s our next step. It would be a game changer for us and considering we are thriving as much as we are now, without that ideal setup, is evidence enough that we’d triple thive overnight if we had our own theater space. I believe it will happen.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ellen Rogers Photography
Leesha Boylan Photography
Kendra St. Hilaire Photography
Jeremy Blanchard

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