Demo... Real? Meet Bev Sheehan
- Frank Verderosa
- May 3
- 3 min read
When Bev Sheehan first stepped onto a college stage in 1972, she wasn’t looking for a career; she was just looking for the theater department. At the urging of her dorm mates, the interior design major auditioned for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Cast as the courtesan Vibrata, Bev’s professional trajectory was set by a happy accident during a dress rehearsal.
Introduced as "exotic as a desert bloom," Bev missed her musical cue and spent her entire dance number a frantic beat behind the music. Expecting a reprimand, she instead found the department head in tears of laughter. His only note? "Promise me you’ll do it that way every night." That moment of "maniacal" comedic timing became the foundation of a decades-long career in professional performance.
The Art of the "Wait"
Bev’s journey through the southern dinner theater circuit eventually led her back to her roots in Washington DC. It was here that she honed the sharp instincts that define her work today. While performing in a vaudeville sketch alongside legends like Paul Dooley, Bev learned the true power of the silence between the lines.
After a joke about "close veins" met a silent house, Bev held a vacant expression for what felt like an eternity. She waited for the audience to catch up. When the laughter finally erupted into an applause break, Dooley offered a simple, two-word validation: "Good girl." This mastery of timing—knowing when to push and when to let the reality of a situation breathe—became her signature.
Building a Legacy: What Exit?
In 1983, Bev moved to Maplewood, New Jersey, to bridge the gap between her life and the New York City stage. After studying "serious comedy" at the Manhattan Punchline, she realized there was a need for a dedicated space for the genre. In 1994, she founded What Exit? Theatre Company, serving as its Artistic Director.
The company became a beacon for high-level farce, satire, and tragicomedy. Bev’s philosophy was simple but profound: find actors who can mine the humor out of even the hardest subjects without "driving it home." As she often says, it’s not just a theatrical mission, but a life mission: "I have to find the humor in this because this is not really that big of a tragedy."
The New Chapter: Behind the Mic
Today, Bev is channeling that lifetime of comedic timing and character work into the commercial and voiceover world. Her recent work, including featured spots for Colonial Penn, showcases the same relatability and wit that defined her stage career.
This new commercial demo reel isn't just a collection of clips; it’s the culmination of a career built on being "lithe as a tigress" and sharp as a tack. Whether she is playing a confused nurse in a vaudeville sketch or a savvy spokesperson on camera, Bev Sheehan continues to prove that in the world of performance, it really is "all in the timing." For Bev, it’s never been about conquering the world—it’s about finding the humor to get through the day, and helping her audience do the same.
Ready to see Bev in action? You can explore her full range by viewing her résumé or checking out her latest work on camera and behind the mic.
Frank Verderosa is an award-winning audio engineer and voiceover casting director with decades of industry experience. As the owner of POV Audio, he casts, sound-designs, and mixes television, radio, and promo campaigns for leading ad agencies and networks. Outside the studio, Frank supports the voice actor community through coaching, consulting, and demo production for talent at every level. To connect or learn more, visit www.frankverderosa.com and use the chat tab or explore the Voice Actor Services section.
Beautiful work!