Community Highlights: Meet Leslie Franklin of Jest Murder Mystery Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Franklin.

Hi Leslie , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My father (Randy Manning) started the company in 1999. The first show was actually performed at our family reunion and my uncle was the murderer. My dad saw how much everyone enjoyed the experience and began performing his murder mystery shows for groups all over the country. The shows were funny, engaging and more interactive than most creating a great way to bring groups together through shared laughter. It was a breath of fresh air in the industry and made the shows more about the audience’s experience rather than about a performance by actors. I was involved in many ways while growing up. I would pack all the props and costumes for the shows, prepare the materials and when I was older, I started performing them alongside him. When he was ready to retire, I stepped in and have been running Jest Murder Mystery Co ever since. We now perform over 400 shows per year, many of which are in the Denver area.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We’ve been planning murders for over 25 years now and it’s not always been easy! There are the normal issues you would expect to face. The challenge of adapting to changes in technology and how people book their entertainment is a constant battle. We are always searching for the right professional actors, training and keeping them booked. It takes a special kind of actor to perform our shows and its not for everyone. We need talented performers who are humble enough to lead the audience to shine and accomplish that with skill and professionalism. It’s no small task! The recession was tough but we made it through. I’d say our most volatile time was definitely in 2020 when the world shut down due to the covid 19 pandemic. As you can imagine, people weren’t really interested in in-person, face-to-face entertainment during those days. So, we had a choice…close our doors or adapt. So we gathered some of our most talented, creative, problem solving people and we took what makes our in-person shows so popular and adapted it to work on the zoom platform thus making our shows available virtually. It was no small challenge since our shows are completely built around audience participation and improvisation which is hard to do when everyone’s in a different location! But we did it and we had the top rated virtual, interactive murder mystery show available. Word spread, bookings took off and it saved our business. It also brought a lot of joy to folks when they were stuck at home which we felt pretty good about. We still offer the virtual shows but understandably, our in-person shows are back to being our bread and butter.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Jest Murder Mystery Co. is a troupe of comedic actors who turn ordinary gatherings into interactive whodunits, placing guests in the roles of suspects with hilarious results. Since 1999 we’ve delivered turnkey murder mystery experiences in ballrooms, boardrooms, living rooms, and virtual spaces, all built on in-house scripts that balance clever twists with universal humor.

What distinguishes us is seamless customization, professionalism, and a network of trained performers who deliver consistent quality. Fortune 500 leaders such as Google, Meta, Ford, and Edward Jones as well as nonprofits like Make-A-Wish, Habitat for Humanity and CASA trust us to entertain their teams, and we’re just as thrilled to stage a murder for community fundraisers, small businesses, venues or even wedding receptions. Because every event gets its own personal touch, guest satisfaction stays high, helping us hold a nearly perfect five-star rating across thousands of performances for more than 25 years.

Whether you’re a HR planner hunting for a fresh holiday party, a venue looking for a way to bring in new business, a bride looking for an unforgettable reception idea or a nonprofit needing a crowd-pleasing fundraiser, Jest offers a turnkey, memory-making alternative to the usual and it’s guaranteed to leave guests talking long after the culprit is cuffed.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Outside the world of murder-mystery shows, I go home to a loving husband (who also works for Jest Murder Mystery Co) and two beautiful girls. We live on a small farm with several dogs and cats, a coop of chickens, a horse and a donkey named Leroy Brown (who happily pulls a pony cart and wears a hat). My family and I spend weekends working the farm, having adventures and worshiping God together in our family band we sometimes call the Franklin Family Freakout. Be honest, am I oversharing?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jestmurdermystery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jestmurdermystery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jestmysteryco/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/16188400/admin/dashboard/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8M6URIvd6-uDRm8XNCkr5w

Image Credits
Jest Murder Mystery Company