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. 

Steve Glickman is a software engineer by day and a proud nerd. He's a classical music nut and once upon a time played viola in a string quartet and sang bass with the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus. Steve's stories have been featured on the Moth Radio Hourand its podcast, and he’s a favorite at storytelling shows around Chicago (and at First Person Live!). He also hosts a monthly storytelling open mic show, Do Not Submit, in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. Steve lives in Uptown with his partner Mark and their imaginary dog Ruffles.

Melissa Perrinis a clinical psychologist in private practice in the Chicago area, working with individuals, and consulting with businesses and other organizations. Her philosophy includes the knowledge that there is power in the stories we tell about ourselves - how we define who we are. Altering that story can be a powerful tool in living a full life. An ardent teacher, Melissa illustrates through stories and narration at seminars and retreats for clinicians and to the general public. Melissa is a native of Chicago’s north shore but, she secretly wishes she had been born and raised in Phoenix Arizona so that she could introduce herself as a Native Phoenician. (She just likes how that sounds.)

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Margaret Ghielmetti and her Swiss husband Patrick have lived on four continents and have visited almost 50 nations – but they make Chicago home now. Margaret is writing a memoir about her life overseas as an expatriate and her travel misadventures. She’s also active in the storytelling community, performing regularly at Moth StorySLAMS and debutig her solo show, Fierce, in 2017. Margaret dreams of visiting every country - meeting the people, hearing their stories, and devouring their national dessert. Her rallying cry is, "The world is not my enemy!" 

Tim Schreiber has been a meat clerk, a pizza driver, a busboy, a library assistant, a columnist, a reporter, a student, a fellow, a teacher, a reference librarian, and a landlord - but he’s given all of that up (for the time being) to stay home with his two young children. (Let’s hear it for the dads!)

Although he has been writing and telling stories all his life, Tim just recently caught the bug of formal storytelling in front of a live audience, completing his first two Moth StorySLAMs this fall, placing a very close second both times. He enjoyed it so much that he looks forward to coming up short again.

Larry Glazerhas always found a way to work in entertaining jobs that amuse him and inspire creativity. As a teenager, he sold cokes at White Sox baseball games. In college, he was a disc jockey and newscaster at several commercial radio stations. He made a career selling broadcast advertising for over 200 U.S. radio and TV stations. His creative writing has been published in two national magazines, the Skokie Northlight Theatre magazine, and on The White Sox scoreboard 

Sarah Leibov is a Feldenkrais practitioner, instructing therapeutic movement classes in Wilmette. When she’s not teaching or spending time with her family, you can find her editing the latest draft of her first book - a memoir about a time when things went terribly wrong in order to become right again...but that’s another story. Sarah also enjoys sharing her stories on stage, and has performed at the Moth StorySLAM, Story Lab Chicago, and the Spertus Institute.  

Jim Petersen was the sex editor for Playboymagazine for almost 40 years years. (USA Today once called his column, The Playboy Advisor "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.) 

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Now retired, Jim gets his breaking news from The History Channel. He rediscovered live storytelling recently and has performed at more than a dozen Moth StorySLAMs and a Grand Slam, as well as other at storytelling shows around Chicago. He may never write for print again.