First Person Live

First Person Live brings storytelling for adults to the NW suburbs with a show featuring the best of Chicago talent as well as local folks.

A new group tellers & different theme each month! Open mic spots available for newcomers - see website for details. Live storytelling is returning in events around Chicago. First Person Live brings this unique form of entertainment, self-expression and community building to the suburbs in a monthly show featuring acclaimed Chicago tellers as well as local folks. Open mic spots may be available at the start of the show.

06/04/2026

Hot and tired after a long July weekend, Mary O’Connell was ready to be home. But a quick stop at a dog park would give her beloved Toby some exercise, and take care of the nightly walk as well - early to bed for both of them! But Toby had other ideas, turning that brief stop into a mad dog-dash and a harrowing experience for Mary - until some strangers stepped in. (Well, they used to be strangers. 😉)

It’s “Besties: stories about friends” - Wednesday, June 24 at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/31/2026

Besties: whether they’re with us for a crucial moment or the rest of our lives, these are the people we never forget. This month, you’ll meet them in stories about lost dogs, clairvoyant siblings, compassionate strangers, triangulated lovers, closeted N***s, and a date with the Haitian militia.

Featuring Perfecto Diaz, Whitney Abbott, Mary O’Connell, Nikki Campbell, Dinah Grossman, Katie Kopecky, and host Diane Kastiel.

Be there on Wednesday, June 24 at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/29/2026

Another packed house in May! Big thanks to tellers Michael Emody, Sara Belyeu, Rick Bolnick, Adam Bottner, Sonny Hogan, Rebecca Lindell and Steve Miller, our venue Hey Nonny, and our big, beautiful story-loving community!

Next up: ”Besties: stories about friends.” Wednesday, June 24 at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/20/2026

Tomorrow night, folks! Stories about failing at: getting high, raising killer plants, escaping Machu Picchu, driving responsibly, honoring the dead, and cleaning a rug (it’s harder than you think). The chaser? A love story that redeems us all.

Featuring Michale Emody, Sara Belyeu, Rick Bolnick, Adam Bottner, Sonny Hogan, Rebecca Lindell, Steve Miller and host Diane Kastiel! Always at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heigths. Info & ticket at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/19/2026

“May you live in interesting times.” - Chinese curse

Diane Kastiel is a pretty seasoned traveler, but she tends to play it fast and loose when it comes to itineraries, reservations, planning - really most forms of thinking things through. The upside: Diane has lots and lots of adventures! 😃The downside: Diane has lots and lots of “adventures.” 😣

Hear all about her latest on Thursday, May 21! It’s “FAIL: stories about mistakes & mishaps” at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/18/2026

Ten-year-old Steve Miller wanted what every kid wants: to be known for something. Sports?…not athletic. Music?…too much practice. Chess?…too nerdy And then he hit on it: RAISING KILLER PLANTS BECAUSE HOW COOL IS THAT?!?

Not cool at all, it turns out - but don‘t bother telling Steve that.🙄

It’s “FAIL: stories about mistakes & mishaps” Thursday, May 21 at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/16/2026

Adam Bottner may be the only person in the world who has never gotten high. And he doesn't drink much. Also he’s a lawyer and we all know how uptight they are. 🙄
So why does Adam find himself in the middle of the night, on a lonely road, surrounded for FOUR cops, taking the Field Sobriety Test, and waiting for a backup breathalyzer - because apparently one isn’t enough for THIS outlaw?

Find out on Thursday, May 21! It’s FAIL: stories about mistakes & mishaps” - at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights. Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/14/2026

Rebecca Lindell loves her Greek heritage - especially it’s food: avgolemono, koulourakia, pastitsio, oh my! But when her “yiayia” dies, she fears she’s lost not just a beloved grandmother but much of her culture: the language, the family gatherings, and of course the food. But an internet search, and enthusiastic “sous chef,” and Rebecca’s love for her yiayia brought back what she thought she had lost - so YUM-O, let’s eat!

It’s “FAIL: stories about mistakes & mishaps” Thursday, May 21 at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/12/2026

When Sonny Hogan’s beloved grandmother passed away, he desperately wanted to attend her funeral in Alabama. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the money or resources to travel there from Chicago. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so Sonny took advice from Uncle Dennis - that person in the family who has advice for everyone...advice best ignored. And that’s how our hero wound up stranded in Tallahassee, for a funeral in Alabama, with a cop on his tail…and one helluva story to tell.

It’s “FAIL: stories about mistakes & mishaps” Thursday, May 21 at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

05/09/2026

Michael Emody considers himself a responsible guy - especially as a school bus driver. But everyone has their limits, and an emergency backup call, a busfull of feral middle schoolers, and some flouting of the ”gas rules” put Michael over the edge…creating one of those situations where people say, “You’ll laugh about this one day.”

Welp, that day has arrived. 🤣🤣🤣

It’s “FAIL: stories about mistakes & mishaps.” Thursday, May 21 at Hey Nonny in downtown Arlington Heights! Info & tickets at www.firstpersonlive.com.

Address

10 S. Vail Ave.
Arlington Heights, IL
60005

Website

http://www.firstpersonlive.com/

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