WAKE (the f*ck) UP!
January 25, 2026
The Long Beach Playhouse
WAKE (the f*ck) UP! – was created from a workshop called “The PLAYground!” The artists met weekly for months and explored the Enneagram, deep inner work, performing arts, and the stories of their lives as they took a peek behind their masks at their shadows and mined for the GOLD hidden within. This experiential theatrical production is a heart-wide-open look at our lives and the stories we tell. It’s about learning to see and accept what is – as it is, stepping into our uniquely inspired shoes, and saying “THIS IS ME.”
*Please note that there is emotionally sensitive and mature subject matter in this show – not recommended for children under 18
Order of Show
The F-Word – Cast
This Masquerade – Dez Glover, Andrean Brown-Jacobs, Rachael Rifkin
There are Days – Heather Pease
I want to Matter – Doyle Smiens
This is Me – Cast
Cuddle Puddle – Rachael Rifkin & Cast
The Unapologetic Mother – Brandi Glover & Andrean Brown-Jacobs
Elevator – Andrean Brown-Jacobs
Broken Open – Talena Mulzac
JUST DANCE – Cast
INTERMISSION
The Village Woman – Ann Mantel & Cast
Unmasking My Name – Doyle Smiens
People Like You – Andrean Brown-Jacobs & Cast
ONWARD & UPWARD – Dez Glover & Doyle Smiens
Out of the Weeds – Heather Pease
Wake (the f*ck) Up! – Exquisite Corpse Poem – Cast
This Masquerade – Cast
Meet the Cast
Doyle Smiens
Smiens has been performing since high school and has happily been performing with the Long Beach Community Theatre for over a decade. He loves living in Long Beach for its diversity, creative energy, and the fact that no one questions why he’s talking to himself while memorizing lines in public places. Theatre is the way he connects and entertains. It is also how he got to work alongside some truly talented people in this production.
Why is it important to share the stories we hold inside of us?
We share stories because they reveal our histories.We parcel out the pieces of our personal puzzle of what makes us, us, by means of stories.
Why did you choose to share the piece(s) you did for the show?
Some of the stories I chose to share I shared because the behind the mask stories will more fully show who I truly am.They are those puzzle pieces that will help you more fully understand the complexity of me.
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you by doing so?
The thing that’s waking up in me is the need to have the courage to try new/different things. I want to experiment and to explore more creatively. To climb out of the trench and see what else is there for me.
Andrean Brown-Jacobs
Andrean Brown-Jacobs is a published author, wife of 21 years, and mother of two lovely daughters. She loves roller-skating and pickleball. Andrean was born and raised in Wheeling and Chicago, IL. She is looking to begin a doctoral program next year. She spends her time reading, thrifting with her mom, and tending to her plants. When she’s in her car she likes to do car karaoke with her husband.
Why is it important to share the stories we hold inside of us?
Sharing our stories provides a sense of healing through community,
Sharing our stories serves as a testimony that helps others that may be going through the same thing. It shows them how to come through it.
Why did you choose to share the piece(s), you are sharing for WAKE (the f*ck) UP?
I chose to share these pieces because for so long I hid them, I covered them out of pure shame. The shame of what others have said to me, or done to me and I realize it’s not my shame to carry. I have heard from it and no longer want to hide those painful memories.
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you in doing so?
What has awakened inside of me is the ability to take back my power. Revisiting those painful times has shown me how much of a survivor I am and it has given light to why I am this woman I am today and she is unapologetically HER!
Dez “The Pharoah” Glover
Dez ‘The Pharoah’ Glover is a multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist that believes that music can heal the world! Dez brings laughter, enchanting musical harmonies, and undeniable energy to the stage. Prepared to be WOW-ed by the pizazz and charisma with which Dez exudes!!! Buckle up, because you’re truly in for a TREAT!
Why it’s important to share what’s inside/our stories
The world only gets to experience what we SAY and what we DO! The 2 are combined and interpreted, so it’s best to do them both & be very good about it for complete understanding & good communication!
Why I chose the piece I chose to present
I chose my piece because it is one of my largest SHOCK POINTS that led me the place where I am today. It encompasses my life from around 31/32 – 52 or actually The Present! This story presents and represents who/what I am today & the journey to here & now!
The 1 thing that is waking up in me because of it
I am reminded of how important it is not to delay doing & being ME! No hesitations or outside considerations…..just honoring My Wishes, My Desires & My Contentments are most important!!! Life is happening and we can NOT get time back, so it’s best to act now & NOT DELAY!
Brandi Glover
Brandi Glover is an observer until she gets a feel of the room. She is a lover of animals, especially dogs. Her passion is cooking, it makes her feel good seeing people enjoy her cooking. Her children are her proudest accomplishments.
2025 was her year of yes which is why she’s doing Wake (the f*ck) Up.
Why is it important to share the stories we hold inside of us?
It’s important for me to remember my past.
Why did you choose to share the piece(s) you did for the show?
I chose a piece that I longed for my mother to talk to me about, She’s no longer here.
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you in doing so?
Learning to give myself and others grace when needed. Things don’t always happen when you want.
Rachael Rifkin
Rachael Rifkin is a writer whose work focuses on storytelling, connection, and community. She has written about reproductive justice, social justice, parenting, and family for a variety of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Parents Magazine, Family Tree Magazine, Elle, The Progressive, Romper, Narratively, 23andMe, MyHeritage, and more. She also once posed as eight of her relatives in order to highlight shared family traits and stories and is an expert high fiver!
Why is it important to share the stories we hold inside of us?
Our stories reveal so much about us–how we view the world, others, ourselves. And our stories connect us.
Why did you choose to share the piece(s) you did for the show?
One of the pieces I chose just came to me, a memory unbidden that I hadn’t thought of in years. And it reflects how far I came. The other piece has been brewing for awhile; it tells the tale of a very difficult period of my life that I am just emerging from. I would never want to even come close to living it again–in fact, it is one of my fears that I could–but I also wouldn’t trade who I’ve become because of it for the world.
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you by doing so?
I am practicing transparency and aliveness in real time.
Talena Mulzac
Talena Mulzac is a New York City, Brooklyn born, Long Beach transplant. Her love for music, art, poetry, and novels was informed by the cultural vibrancy in her Caribbean household and her surrounding community, known as the World’s Borough, a true melting pot. Talena has been writing poetry for as long as she can remember. She says, “It is the art form that allows her to soar even when her feet feel cemented in place.”
Why is it important to share the stories we hold inside of us?
For connection & reflection. I believe it is important to share our stories to embrace our common human experience and to reflect on the differences to figure out how we can meet each other and allow ourselves to be seen.
Why did you choose to share the piece(s) you did for the show?
The piece I am sharing is based on an event that shifted the trajectory of my life for the past 12 years. It shifted so much of my adult experience, my motherhood experience and the way I think today.
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you in doing so?
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you in doing so?-I feel like I am seeing myself more clearly and letting go of the performance I was taught to continually act out from a young age
Heather Pease
Heather Pease is a spoken word poet whose work is known for emotional honesty and fierce solidarity. After years of letting the words live on the page, she now steps into the spotlight and officially claims the title of theatre actor. Speaking from, and for, her heart, her work blends vulnerability, resilience, and hope, inviting audiences to witness, connect, and stand tall. Her debut poetry collection, Out of the Weeds, marks the beginning of a voice that continues to grow louder, bolder, and fully embodied.
Why is it important to share the stories we hold inside of us?
I share what I hold inside me so I am no longer alone. From the first moment I shared a story and braved the stage, I have had conversations afterward with women who became instant friends through our shared story.
Why did you choose to share the piece(s) you did for the show?
As I wrote each piece, I saw a golden thread connecting them to one another and to a part of me that had been waiting for this moment. Each piece is steeped in connection, each pulling from the other, creating a complete story that came together so cohesively it felt like magic. Each story, each poem, was waiting for this moment, each of them hidden in plain sight but not shared, until now.
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you by doing so?
Coming out from behind the mask gave me the ability to take the power back of my story, of my poetry, and what words I allow to really matter.
Ann Mantel
Ann Mantel is honored to collaborate and perform with this PLAYground company. She’s also a proud member of Long Beach’s Improvisation troupe, Held2gether. After an early adulthood in the theater, Ann brought her talents to teaching children with Special Needs, as well as training teachers in the field. She retired from the Long Beach Unified School District, and is baffled why she’s still so busy.
Why is it important to share the stories we hold inside of us?
Once you’re ready, it’s important to share the stories inside of you. When you open the stories to others, they leave a hidden place with you. They’re no longer just yours. Your stories reverberate with the energy of those who listen to and hear them. The stories are still yours, they’re just enhanced by the telling of them.
Why did you choose to share the piece(s) you did for the show?
I chose to tell my story because I was ready, and I found a form for telling it that seemed to honor my creative proclivities.
What is one thing that is waking up inside of you by doing so?
By telling the story of the completion of my marriage in the form of a Fairy Tale, I realized that I finally gained acceptance and clarity with this experience. I woke up to the idea that I could be vulnerable and powerful all at once.
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.
Laura Schuchardt
Stage Manager
Erik Powers
DJ
Nico Gauthier-Pin
Lighting and Sound
Liam MacLoclainn
Musician
Sarah Reisenauer
Stagecrew
Hilda Kale
Stagecrew
Paige Pelonis
Marketing Manager & Videographer
Alma Casey
Non-Profit Liaison
Company Statement
The Long Beach Community Theater (LBCT) is a small, diverse, and collaborative theater that creates opportunities for the Long Beach community to come together and participate in synergized shows that blend and blur the lines between the visual and performing arts by mixing genres. The concept for this community theater is to create a safe space where our friends and neighbors can share their stories using any form of expression they like. ALL are welcome to participate – from children to adult dreamers and senior citizens. Male, female, transgender, gay, straight, happy, sad, experienced-on-the-stage to never-been-on-the-stage-before-in-my-whole-life-but-I-always-wanted-to-get-on-the-stage – diversity is not only welcomed, but it is also encouraged! This is an opportunity to let your voice be heard and share your story.
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