Diane Kastiel is the producer 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, NPR’s Chicago affiliate. Diane has told stories on stage at The Second City, Steppenwolf, the Park West, Victory Gardens and other theaters as well as comedy clubs, art galleries, the basement of a tattoo parlor - she even did a show in the middle of the woods! Diane works with libraries, schools, community centers and homeless shelters to bring storytelling to a wider audience, and leads storytelling workshops at Northwestern University. Diane is an alumna of The Second City Conservatory and the University of Chicago’s Great Books program. She also has an MBA from Northwestern University…just in case. 

Carl Kalbhen grew up in Arlington Heights and currently works there as a radiologist: a physician who interprets x-rays, mammograms, CT scans, MRIs and other diagnostic examinations. He also uses his access to sophisticated imagingequipment (yes, that’s a word!) to create “x-ray art” (yes, that’s a thing). Carl has published his efforts in medical journals, displayed them in galleries and sold the occasional print. When venturing outside of the dimly lit radiologist workspace, he pursues creative outlets including music and storytelling, and he has performed several times at the Moth. Carl is honored to be able to share an Arlington Heigths-based narrative at First Person Live tonight.

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Jim Petersen was the sex editor of Playboy magazine 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, Jim did stand-up sex therapy on 125 college campuses, wrote about sex when sex was new, and appeared on Late Night with David Letterman. (Note: If you followed his advice and were injured trying the Chinese Basket Trick, be advised that the statute of limitations has run out.) Jim is a regular at Moth StorySLAMs and other storytelling shows around Chicago.

Joe Mellon works is a health guide and a licensed acupuncturist. He majored in acting in college and pursued that in his 20s, but now enjoys writing and storytelling. Hoe told my first story at an all-company meeting about finding my chosen family and have been going to storytelling events ever since. He’s a big reader, with a kindle filled with gay paranormal romance novels(!).

Tim Schreiber has studied English, Journalism, German, Linguistics, Education, and Library Science, and was a professional librarian for 13 years.  Then, for his first mid-life crisis, he got married and had two kids. Tim discovered storytelling in front of a live audience in 2018, competing in Moth StorySLAMS and doing other shows around Chicago. His middle-aged dad hobbies include playing tennis, reading long history books, and creating spreadsheets for his solar panels. 

Bill Larkin is an actor, comedian, songwriter and pianist. He just released his second album of comedy songs, "Knowing Your Audience,” which was recorded live at the legendary Green Mill Jazz Club in Chicago. Born and raised in Bedford, MA, Bill moved to Orlando in 1991, working as an actor for Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, and co-writing a Muppet traveling show at Epcot. Bill moved to Chicago in 2002, where he sang in the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus and worked the piano bar circuit for many years. Bill currently performs at the Redhead Piano Bar in Chicago and The Paper Machete, a live weekly news magazine at the Green Mill. Lastly but not leastly, Bill improvises songs on Twitch and once crashed a biker rally. 👍