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. 

Originally from Worcester, England Darren moved to Chicago over five years ago. He has been acting professionally for over 18 years and trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. During the summer of 2017 Darren walked the Camino de Santiago and performed a one man play, Underneath the Lintel, as he did. It was a journey of 500 miles that comprised 35 days and 26 performances. It was undertaken as a physical challenge but it quickly turned into a spiritual and emotional journey too. Since returning from the Camino, Darren has discovered ways to tell of his experiences on the Camino, and in life through storytelling events. Life is a journey and we are all on similar but different roads. Darren loves hearing other people’s stories probably more than telling his own. Go and tell him yours.

For years Nancy has had one foot in the arts and one foot in the madcap world of marketing research. Part of the creative team behind the long-running show Late Nite Catechism, and a marketing research consultant, Nancy understands the importance of both following your artistic dreams and having a sensible fallback career. Her stint in the record business put her pop music fixation to good use in a pre-Google world and provides some pretty interesting stories. As a kid she saw the Beatles live and has the $2.50 ticket-stub to prove it.  

David Barish has been telling stories ever since his parents came home when he was a just wee lad, looked around, and said, "What happened here?" And he’s been listening to stories for years in his daytime gig as an attorney representing injured workers. In recent years, David started telling stories on stage, revealing  parts of himself that have raised eyebrows from his  loving wife who simply says, "Hmm…never heard that one before."

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As an adult, David found ways to cope with his inability to sit still that drove his parents nuts: When not writing, telling or listening to stories, he can be found playing the harmonica, throwing golf discs, and riding his bicycle for miles and miles and miles…!

Gabriel Sheridan is a public school teacher in Chicago. She's used to speaking to groups of six- and seven-year-olds, but does her best to entertain a crowd of adults from time to time with her storytelling. Gabriel is also a passionate union activist. "Going to a union meeting is like going to church,” she says. “Everyone there is full of love and mostly they agree on the basics.”

Ann Tennes has played numerous characters on stage – Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Susan B. Anthony, Cruella de Vil and more – but finds personal storytelling a greater challenge than any scripted role. While she gleans some storytelling ideas from her career in local government communications and service as a trustee on an area community college board, Ann’s best stories come from life with her family, including daughter Carly, a 21-year-old red-headed spitfire studying at New York University, who has already provided a lifetime of material. Ann earned a Bachelor of Communications degree from Columbia College and a Master of Public Administration degree from Roosevelt University and regularly teaches and speaks at local and national government communications symposiums. Ann enjoys bringing people together for meals around her big dining room table; playing tennis in a 40-team league she and her husband Howard, a real estate attorney, founded; sneaking off to New York City for weekends with Carly; and inventing new cookie recipes. 

Josh Zagoren is an Iowan, schooled in Boston who, after relaxing in LA, decided Chicago was the right mix of the three so he hangs his hat there. Josh has worked with Steppenwolf, Babes with Blades, Factory Theater and played a naked guy on Chicago Fire. A voice actor by day and the Artistic Director of Wildclaw Theater by night, Josh loves a good whiskey and usually has food on his mind - so if the bar serves food, he'll meet you. He hates driving and cucumbers, he’s always down for a scary story, arcade games or just a high-five, and will tell you all about the time he met Ryan Gosling, but only if you're buyin'. Every Saturday you can find him as Chad the Bird of The Paper Machete at the legendary Green Mill Lounge in Chicago - then food, then the arcade, but you're driving. (Photo courtesy of Lee Klawans.) 

Lauren Huffman is a Chicago based storyteller and producer living in Old Town. She co hosts Do Not Submit/Old Town, and the international storytelling showcase Tenx9Chicago. She is a featured writer for the online magazine Literate Ape and author of the upcoming dating column "Illiterate Dicks." Lauren is also part of the acclaimed sketch comedy group "Waiting for Huffman" and was recently featured in Chicagoly magazine for her work in storytelling. In her free time, Lauren enjoys volunteering for animal rescues and watching terrible reality shows. Follow her on twitter @HuffyPuffy21.