Meet Beverly Steel | Actor & Event Curator

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

Hi Beverly, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Sunday Brunch Collective, or SBC, is an event curation group and creative community that originated out of jam sessions between friends. I didn’t have any plans about what SBC would become when we went from backyard brunch hangs to in-person events. I lived in a home in Studio City during the summer of 2023 that lended itself well to throwing big parties, and that was how SBC grew. The home we lived in had been previously owned by a renowned jazz session musician named Gene “Cip” Cipriano – the most recorded woodwindist ever – and we were inspired by his legacy. He is completely worth researching, and his album “First Time Out” is seriously incredible… It felt like music was just built into the energy of that home. From there, we expanded and started hosting events at venues, including our main spot, Sassafras Saloon. The thought process was always “let’s get our buddies on stage and create a space for vendors, artists, and friends to do their thing, and have a great time doing it!” That’s the general philosophy.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What has always drawn me to acting and performing is the opportunity to explore and participate in the human exchange. This is my attraction to any art form I find myself involved with, drawing comics, comedy, singing, writing – they are methods of decoding my experience.

I wouldn’t say I was born with an abundance of natural talent, but I was definitely born curious. Over the fifteen years I’ve spent trying to figure out how to be a good actor, I’ve only felt myself break through in the last two. Before I ever had a moment on stage where I thought, “Yeah, I was really present for that! That was good,” I had countless painful performances, like seriously painful. Finally reaching a place where I feel I can access my full self in my work is almost impossible to describe, and has come with determination and learning to step back from catastrophic self-judgment. I’ve found there is no amount of self-help reading that will do this for you, it’s a muscle you have to train. I imagine you could make it happen through some kind of transcendental meditation, but I haven’t tried.

What sets me apart is my curiosity and hunger to dig into the parts of life that evoke something raw and deeply familiar… and with any luck, the fearlessness with which I do it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A Sunday Brunch Collective show, of course!! Typically the SBC squad can be found at Bigfoot East on Monday nights for karaoke. They have Bluegrass Night on Tuesdays which is always fun! I’m also a fan of the Crazy Uncle Joe Show at Groundlings which is a Wednesday happening, and any show at the Elysian. Lunch Money Improv is also a hip comedy show put on by some friends! I occasionally find myself at Laugh Factory, the Improv, and the Comedy Store.

Fun bars on my list include Sassafras Saloon, Club Tee Gee, The Hi Low for karaoke, Cinema Bar, Gold-Diggers, seeing Reagan Sepulveda play Davey Waynes (beware of the phone snatchers), and of course El Prado. Haters will say it isn’t what it used to be… but they could never make me hate you, El Prado!! In terms of daytime activities, I like Fryman Canyon, driving on Mulholland, and hitting Will Rogers State Beach especially during the summer. For brunch, Sqirl is a classic. I recommend the “new school.” <3

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc. that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?  
I have been very lucky. Throughout my journey, numerous mentors and inspirations have shaped me into the performer and person I am today. My parents are, without a doubt, my greatest inspiration. They are hard-working, driven, and deeply thoughtful individuals who, despite not being artists by profession (though they are in spirit), are unwaveringly supportive of my life as an artist. Since I was a child, asking if I could put a hat out on the street and sing for passers-by or perform an interpretive dance for them after dinner, they never quieted the magic I felt inside myself that is completely integral to my work and who I am. I am also profoundly grateful for the mentorship of my high school theater director Joseph Timko, and Daniel Passer, my mentor at CalArts. Their wisdom and encouragement have been invaluable to my growth as an artist.

Website: https://www.beverlysteel.online/event-curation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miserableoldhagaf/

Other: https://www.sundaybrunchcollective.com/

Image Credits
Betty Kaye Weiner (photo with white background)
Ragan Henderson (photo in mirror with pearl necklace)
Em Chen (concert photos)