Mixtape Confessions

Amy Philips-Haller

Pittsburgh native and former journalist Amy Philips-Haller reported for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette before becoming an investigative producer for the CBS affiliate KDKA-TV. She closed out her media career as a booking producer for the national television network AccuWeather.  Weeks after her best friend died in late 2024, Philips-Haller realized she couldn’t waste one more minute. She sold everything she owned and moved to Long Beach, where she is currently working on her first novel.

Chadwick Bishop

One word can be used to describe Chadwick Bishop’s music and vibe….Soulful! The Troy, Alabama native loves nothing more than to share the gift of music in any setting or situation. The singer/songwriter/performer makes it his personal mission to set a cozy mood for all to enjoy. Chadwick often flies solo on guitar, and is also known as one half of the Acoustic Soul Express, featuring guitarist Ashanti Dykes. Recently, Chadwick rekindled an affair with his childhood instrument, the trombone. This rekindling led to the formation of C-Bone and The Soul Shack Playas in 2025. 

When not performing, Chadwick serves as the artistic director of Soul Shack Productions LB. The organization prides itself on being Long Beach, California’s one-stop-shop for live entertainment and creative space services. The team of expert creatives offer a fun-filled vibes that is ideal for social engagements ranging from backyard parties to weddings to corporate events. In addition, Soul Shack LB’s creative space is designed to inspire, encourage, and nurture collaborations among artists to create exciting new content.

Danny Lemos

Danny Lemos launched his broadcasting career in 1976 as a DJ at KXLU-FM/Loyola Marymount. He later became the music director at 102.7 KIIS-FM, then a comedy writer, and producer for the legendary Rick Dees in the Morning, where he voiced the character of “Chuy From La Puente”.   Now retired, he proudly serves as volunteer President and General Manager of KLBP–Long Beach Public Radio and hosts a weekly radio show, “Mornings On The Beach”

Gregory Elsasser-Chavez

Gregory Elsasser-Chavez is a father of five boys and a writer, educator, and theatre artist whose work explores the tension between faith and doubt, identity and belonging. He is the author of the memoir Terms of Estrangement and 7 published plays. His work often blends dark humor with emotional candor. Gregory has spoken publicly about his experiences with conversion therapy and the long, uneven process of coming out, focusing on dignity, resilience, and truth-telling. He lives in Southern California with his husband and two of his children where he continues to write, teach, and make theatre.  

Ida Pickett

Ida Pickett is a local performer in Long Beach. Starting with intense stage fright she has worked hard to share music and stories within her friend circles and community. This is her first time performing on a larger stage and sharing what makes her uniquely her. All thanks to the support of her community and loved ones.

Jerlene Tatum

Jerlene Tatum, is a mother to 4 children, an entrepreneur, a bibliophile, and a self-proclaimed cat lady. When she is not handling her business as a mom and cat lady, she is advocating for her community and uses her voice to keep people updated on political issues and current affairs.

One of the most impactful quotes in Jerlene’s life is by Maya Angelou “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”. One day Jerlene decided to stop the agony and began telling her story in hope that it will engage and inspire people.

Jesse Soriano

Jesse Soriano is a Cuban-Mexican singer-songwriter born and raised in Boyle Heights, where his musical identity was shaped by the rich cultural rhythms and stories of his community. Growing up surrounded by oldies, Latin music, soul, and hip-hop, he developed a deep appreciation for melody and lyrical storytelling. His songwriting draws from personal experience, family roots, and moments of reflection, blending nostalgia with a modern, heartfelt approach. Jesse’s music often explores themes of love, memory, resilience, and human connection. Whether performing live or recording in the studio, he creates songs that feel personal yet widely relatable.

Liam MacLoclainn

Liam is a musician and storyteller. He retired from teaching during COVID after a 25 year career. Before that he was a maintenance worker at Cal State Long Beach. In Ireland he was a schoolteacher for six months. He immigrated to this country in 1979 and after a year of traveling settled in Southern California where he met his wife. He has two grown daughters and one grandchild.

Lorenzo Gigliotti

LorenzoLorenzoLorenzo is a Long Beach singer-songwriter who has been a part of the local music scene for decades, fronting several bands, performing solo, and as a recording artist. His music is an eclectic mix of styles about diverse subjects,  topical, observational, romantic, and inquisitive.

Ravina Wadhwani

RAVINA is a South Asian American, bestselling author, spoken word poet, and licensed therapist based in Long Beach, CA with roots in the U.S. Virgin Islands. YELLOW is her debut full length collection of poetry and prose published by World Stage Press and recipient of the Long Beach Best Poetry Collection of 2021. RAVINA has performed poetry on nationally and internationally acclaimed stages including the United Nations and the House of Blues. Ravina is the founding director of Writing As Healing Los Angeles and an active touring and performing spoken word artist with the collective Long Beach NeverSpeak! She is a licensed therapist specializing in the college student population and founder of Solbloome Wellness and Sanctuary, a holistic wellness company centering therapy specializing in treating adult trauma survivors and offering arts and wellness programming nationally.

Rick Sanchez

Rick is a husband, father, and teller of stories based in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Chicago, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue Stand Up Comedy. After being found to be less funny than Margaret Cho, he settled into a life of boring his wife and children with his stories instead of becoming rich and famous. He finds storytelling more interesting and enjoyable than comedy and hasn’t looked back. He can be found on The Moth stages from time to time telling people bits about his life, 5 minutes at a time.

Sayon Syprasoeuth

Born in Cambodia and raised in a Thai refugee camp, Sayon Syprasoeuth turned scraps of wood and wire into his first artworks, acts of survival that became lifelong expressions of hope. Now based in Long Beach, his sculptures, installations, and murals honor the stories of migration and healing within the Cambodian community. As Associate Program Director at the United Cambodian Community and a leader of the Cambodia Town Mural Project, Sayon creates spaces for intergenerational storytelling and artmaking. His first book, Coloring and Learning About Cambodia in the Arts (2025), invites children to reconnect with Khmer culture through creativity. Sayon’s belief is simple yet powerful: art restores what was lost, and every act of creation helps a community remember who it is.

Sue Perkins

(Friday Only)

Sue Perkins grew up in Yorba Linda, California and when she wasn’t swimming or playing water polo, she would spend hours sitting on the floor next to her parents’ console stereo listening to music, poring over album covers, liner notes and lyrics while singing along with the records. She attended her very first concert, Donny Osmond at Angel Stadium when she was just seven years old. Ten years later she went with some high school friends to see The Pretenders at the Orange Pavillion in San Bernardino; her first unchaperoned concert.

Back in the day, Sue drove a school bus through the mean streets of Long Beach and she has some wild stories to tell you about that next time! Sue is a yoga teacher and she teaches at least seven classes a week here in Long Beach. It is her mission to help others live their happiest lives by connecting with their true selves.

Vickie Wippel

Vickie Wippel is a writer and storyteller who began telling stories for Long Beach Community Theater in 2019 after being featured on KPCC/LALIST’s Unheard LA storytelling series. In both 2021 and 2023, she won the Search for Long Beach’s Greatest Storyteller. Still Life, her first collection of stories, and her novella, Unconventional Santa, were both published in 2024. She was also honored as a 2024 Harriet Williams Emerging Writer at the Long Beach Literary Women’s Festival of Authors. Vickie’s stories have been published in Saga Literary Journal volumes, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, as well as the following journals and book anthologies: Art from Ashes, Art of This, Below The Poverty Line, Dialogue at a Bar, and Road Trip to El Dorado.  Her poetry has been published by the Los Angeles Poet Society, and her creative nonfiction piece, Cat’s Cradle was recently featured in Motherly.

Vickie holds a master’s degree in public policy from CSULB and is currently enrolledUCLA’s creative writing program, where she is completing her first novel. She is married to David Wippel, and they have two sons. Information on her publications and storytelling events can be found at www.vickiewippel.com. You can also find her on Instagram @vicwippel.

Wes Laursen

Wes Blake The Misfit Poet is a local poet and spoken word artist. He enjoys writing poetry and performing at local open mics in and around the OC, Long Beach, and greater LA areas. He is currently working on his manuscript for his upcoming poetry book The Misfit’s Light. He is also the co-founder of the brands The Misfit Poet and Misfit Poets. Wes has also worked on several poetry showcases such as Behind the Mask, which he did with Long Beach Community Theater, Life, Love and Mythology, and The Music Mosaic.

Ann Wellman

Director

Ann Wellman is the Founder, Producer, and Artistic Director of the Long Beach Community Theater, where she produces and hosts Speak. Easy. – a monthly night of storytelling and community conversation. Building up community by combating loneliness and helping others share their stories creatively has been the focus of her life’s work. She is a Russ Hudson Certified Enneagram Teacher who earned “Distinguished Honors” in the Year-Long Enneagram Certification in Conscious Living. She is also an Enneagram Coach certified with Dr. Ginger Lapid Bogda and a CAC Certified Spiritual Life Coach who worked in Women’s Ministry for ten years. 

Ann has been teaching one way or another since 1997. She offers classes, workshops, and retreats in writing, creativity, spirituality, and inner growth work, including: “Finding Your Voice through Creative Writing,” “The Sunday Blues – A Writers’ Table with SOUL,” “Enneagram 101,” “WEEP – A Creative Grief Group for the Brokenhearted,” and most recently “The PLAYground!”. She has a BA in Speech Communications and Theatre Arts and has been directing for thirty-three years. Ann feels honored to come alongside and cheer people on! She loves people and is looking forward to joining you on this life-changing journey.

https://www.facebook.com/annwellman