Diane Kastiel

Diane is the producer of First Person Live, a monthly storytelling show in Chicago. Piloted in January 2017 in a tiny bar, the show regularly sells out its 150-person performance venue. Diane Kastiel is a three-time Moth StorySLAM winner; her work has been featured on the Moth Radio Hour, its podcast, and at live Moth events. Diane has told stories on stage at Second City, the Park West, Victory Gardens, and other Chicago theaters.

Diane is committed to creating inclusion, community, and compassion through storytelling. She works with libraries, high schools, and homeless shelters to bring storytelling to new populations. She’s partnered with the Kennedy Forum to help people with mental health/substance abuse disorders tell their stories, and she developed Rude to Respect, a story-based public awareness program for people with stigmatized health conditions. Diane also leads workshops at colleges and universities, including Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business and its Nonprofit Management Center.