Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Jacob Padrón, associate producer at Steppenwolf Theatre. The Steppenwolf’s Next UP series runs Tuesday, May 28 through June 16.

“Thursday night, I’m in rehearsal as we get ready for Next UP, our partnership program with Northwestern. Three students in Northwestern’s MFA program get to mount their thesis productions in the Garage. After that, I’ll go to The Black Duck, it’s one of those bars where they know your name and your drink—mine’s an Old-Fashioned. I love to go there with my colleagues after a long rehearsal.

“On Friday, I’m seeing a show by Michael Rohd, a friend at Northwestern. It’s called How to End Poverty in 90 Minutes. It’s described as ‘an experiment in dialogue, in collective decision-making, in shared responsibility and in the potential for art to help us make our world a better place.’ ”

“If there’s time in Wicker Park, I’ll go to the Southern. I used to live in North Carolina and it’s nice to have a restaurant with food I really miss. The executive chef, Cary Taylor comes out and talks to the tables. I like that kind of service. They also have a fantastic whiskey selection.

“Saturday, I’m seeing a show at the Albany Park Theater Project called I Will Kiss These Walls. What’s incredible about this company is that they create meaningful theater pieces with a multiethnic youth ensemble—the stories they create speak to urban youth, immigrants, and middle-class Americans. Then, I’ll be going to this martini bar in Andersonville called Marty’s.

“Sunday, I’ll have brunch at this place called Hearty Boys. They have really fantastic strawberry butter.” —As told to Tomi Obaro