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.

Suzanne Nice is a school psychologist in a high school and loves working with students of all ages. She has no performance experience other than high school marching band and playing one of the Brewster Sisters in a high school production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Suzanne has always loved storytelling and has been known to often sit in her car in the garage listening to the rest of a story on The Moth Radio Hour. She learned about storytelling through many years of attendance at the Maurie Nice School of Storytelling – her father, at dinner, entertaining the family with excerpts from his day. She learned from the best.

Luanne Eisenhardt is in the midst of what she calls her “very fun midlife crisis."  In the last couple of years she graduated from the Second City Improv program, started performing with two Improv troupes, and is now trying her hand at storytelling. Luanne is originally from Virginia and has lived all over the country, settling in Arlington Heights eight years ago.   She is the proud mother of a 13-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son. She is also a Recruiter for the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Weapons Facilities.

Kim Buck loves participating in any aspect of Chicagoland’s perfoming arts scene whenever she can spare a few minutes between happy wife and motherhood and a career in high-tech marketing. She’s a graduate of the Second City Conservatory, has reviewed theatre for the Chicago Reader, performed in local theatre productions, and sings her guts out in the First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights (FUMCAH) choir. Kim is so grateful to First Person Live for growing this storytelling community and bringing this inclusive, fascinating art form to the northwest suburbs.

Paul Teodo is a retired healthcare executive. Born and raised on Chicago's south side, Paul has been telling stories in real life for the past 65 years and on stage for the past six years. He a 5-time Moth StorySLAM winner and a Moth GrandSLAM Champion. He's been invited to perform in New York at the prestigious Moth Ball and featured on CBS Sunday Morning. Paul's first novel, "Pastaman," is available on Amazon and he is working on a second.  Paul raised two great sons as a single dad and is a lifelong dog lover.

Carrie Soukup enjoys her days as a family organizer, chore aficionado and cheerleader. Coming from a long line of kitchen-table storytellers, she is famous for such tales as "Dentures,” "One Way Street," and “That's my Bathroom Stall." As a young adult, she and a team traveled the country in a van for a year telling “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” She blogs about prayer and perspective for people who work with children, and is writing her first book. On a great day, you can find Carrie knee boarding or training exotic baby birds.

Nestor Gomez was born in Guatemala and moved to Chicago in the mid-80s.  He told his first story at a Moth StorySLAM as a way to get over stuttering. He won the slam that night and has not stopped telling stories since and currently holds the record for most Chicago Moth StorySLAM wins. He’s also the creator, producer, curator and host of 80 Minutes Around the World: an Immigration Storytelling Show which showcases stories of immigrants and their allies. But if you ask him, he will say his greatest achievements are making his mother proud and winning the heart of his new wife, Sweet Mel.