Diane Kastiel is the producer, director, and host of First Person Live. A writer and storyteller from Chicago, she’s a three-time winner of the National Public Radio’s Moth StorySLAM; her work has been featured on the Moth Radio Hour, its podcast, and at special events for WBEZ. Diane has told stories on stage at The Second City, the Park West, Victory Gardens and other theaters - but also in more unconventional settings, including comedy clubs, art galleries, the basement of a tattoo parlor, homeless shelters – she even did a show in the middle of the woods! Diane is an alumna of The Second City Conservatory and the University of Chicago’s Great Books program, and has an MBA from Northwestern University…just in case. 

Kevin Biolsi is a statistician and on-again, off-again empty nester who enjoys brewing beer and, every few years, attempting to learn to play the banjo. He is a relative newcomer to storytelling on stage, having performed solo storytelling/comedy shows in 2016 and 2017 as fundraisers for two performing arts youth groups before starting to tell stories at Moth StorySLAMs in late 2017. Prior to this, Kevin’s performing experience was limited to a couple of Latin Club plays in high school and a traumatic piano recital at the age of 33 where he was placed between two eight-year-olds in the performance order.

Teresa Rawlings is a native Nebraskan. She made it to Chicago after a decade in Memphis, where she once met a man on a plane who told her she looked like Elvis, then asked her if she'd like to go to Graceland. She’s been a project manager at a women's research center, a violence-against-women educator, and now works at a visual note-taking firm. She’s written and performed in two one-woman shows, performed in community productions of The Vagina Monologues, and is now delving into storytelling. 

Steve Miller has been a high school math teacher for 16 years. His favorite topic is algebra and his favorite victims are freshmen. Prior to teaching, Steve practiced patent law, where he sub-specialized in disposable absorbent nonwoven hygiene products (aka, tampons and diapers). He enjoys playing guitar, seeing movies, and walking his dog, Amelia.

Phyllis Porché was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. She teaches English composition at a small technical college and writes fiction in her spare time. An avid listener of NPR’s Moth Radio Hour, Phyllis finally mustered the nerve to compete in a Moth StorySLAM – and won! Phyllis credits her parents with her love of reading and writing, and is regularly inspired by her muses: strong coffee, meditation, and milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses.

James R. Petersen was the sex editor for Playboy magazine for almost 40 years. (USA Today once called his column "the premier source of sex information in the country.") As the Playboy Advisor, James did stand-up sex therapy on 125 college campuses, wrote about sex when sex was new, and appeared on the Late Night with David Letterman. (Note: If you followed his advice, or were injured trying the Chinese Basket Trick, be advised that the statute of limitations has run out.) Now retired, he gets his breaking news from The History Channel. He rediscovered live storytelling last summer and may never write for print again. James has performed at more than a dozen Moth StorySLAMS and a Grand Slam, as well as other storytelling shows around Chicago.

Chris Trani is an American stand-up comic, storyteller, and documentary filmmaker who uses his humor to educate and entertain audiences around the world. Chris has traveled throughout North America and Europe engaging audiences with his hilarious stories, candid views and pro-immigration politics, which he turned into a documentary film, An American House.

Chris is a winner of National Public Radio's Moth StorySLAM, SNUBFEST (2015), and a Moth GrandSLAM runner-up. He has had the honor to share the stage with TJ Miller, Pat McGann, Tracey Ashley, and Roy Wood Jr., Senior Correspondent for The Daily Show. Chris produces one of the best stand-up comedy shows in Chicago, creatively titled A Comedy Show. He lives in the city with his puppy, creatively named Puppy. 

Susan Haarman has worked with college students for ten years and can show you the gray streak in her hair to prove it. She's also been a knife saleswoman, a camp counselor, a hospital chaplain, a waitress, a designated driver for hire, a Jesuit volunteer, and a lifeguard. She currently works at Loyola University Chicago, has a Masters of Divinity, and tends to confuse people when they realize how much she swears and loves NPR and pop culture. She also loves telling stories, but thinks it’s more important for you to tell your story - so is thrilled to help First Person Live build a storytelling community in a suburbs.