The FAB FIVE-- Storytellers- Lisa Colleen , Patrick Curtin, Amy Heiting, Chris Trani, Scott Whitehair! A show not to be missed!
Lisa Colleen loves the sharing of stories because they connect, empower and INSPIRE! As a mother, grandmother and coach, she has an endless supply of stories to tell. Rarely does she make it through the telling of one story without wanting to interrupt herself with another story.
Patrick Curtin is a Chicago native that incorporates storytelling as a celebrant for weddings, memorials and other moments in life that should be celebrated. Patrick has shared stories at the Irish American Heritage Center, Steppenwolf, Second City and the Goodman Theater.
Amy Heiting has shared her love of stories and obsession with words throughout her years teaching high school English as she helped her students find their voices, explore their identities, and make sense of their histories through storytelling. She recently stepped away from the classroom and, as a stay-at-home mom, is set on making sure her daughter is as captivated by stories and language as she is. Her passion for reading and writing led her to pursue a doctorate in literacy which she will finish this May.
Chris Trani is a fantastic up-and-coming stand-up comedian from Chicago, IL who strives to integrate all forms of comedy into his act: stand-up, storytelling, crowd work; and if need be, he can do it all in Spanish (kinda)! Winner of National Public Radio's The MOTH and the SNUBFEST Comedy Festival for Storytelling in 2015, Chris has shared the stage with TJ Miller, Roy Wood Jr. of The Daily Show, and Dov Davidoff of HBO’s CRASHING. Chris is the house emcee at The House of Blues Chicago and can be seen performing at clubs all throughout the region, including The Comedy Bar, Zanies, Laugh Factory, and Crackers Comedy Club Indianapolis, and his hometown venue, Helium Comedy in St. Louis, MO.
As a performer, Scott Whitehair has brought his dynamic blend of vulnerability, humor, and insight to venues, festivals, and conferences all over the world, and has been seen/heard on NPR, PBS, WGN Radio, FOX-TV, Sirius XM, and The Risk Podcast. He is a two-time Moth Slam winner and runner up at The 2012 Windy City All-City Story Slam Championship. In 2017, he made his debut with Exchange Place at The National Storytelling Festival. His work ranges from the heartbreaking to the hilarious, and he has personal stories for both an afternoon with a child in your lap and a late night with a cocktail in your hand.
As a producer, Whitehair has made it his mission to spread his love of storytelling and create as many opportunities as possible for his neighbors to hear and share stories. He is the producer of This Much Is True, one of the city's longest running personal narrative series, creator of Story Lab Chicago, which was recently mentioned in Forbes and Newsweek, and director of Do Not Submit, a citywide network of community building open mics.
Musician Mike Zigrossi plays with Cooler by the Creek Country Band and Union Jack Classic Rock Band. He is a Lewis University Alumnus where he studied Theatre.
