Steppenwolf Hosts Public Square Event With Sudhir Venkatesh Today, 11/4

What does it take to make it to the top? Hard work? Pure luck? A trust fund? Audiences are diving into these questions nightly at Steppenwolf Theatre Company's current hit production of Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by ensemble member K. Todd Freeman. Two days before the 2012 presidential election, Steppenwolf hosts Making Money: From the Black Market to the Board Room, a deeper conversation about the relationship between class, privilege and success featuring Sudhir Venkatesh, award-winning author, professor at Columbia University and Freakonomics contributor, who will share his insights with Steppenwolf Artistic Director Martha Lavey. Making Money: From the Black Market to the Board Room is today, November 4, 2012 at 7pm in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre (1650 N Halsted St). Tickets ($20) go on sale October 12 at 11am through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted), at 312-335-1650 or at steppenwolf.org. A limited number of $15 student tickets are available online using promo code "VENKATESH15". Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket.

Sudhir Venkatesh has written extensively about American shadow economies and is an award-winning author of three books: Gang Leader for a Day; Off the Books: the Underground Economy of the Urban Poor; and American Project: the Rise and Fall of a Modern Ghetto. All three of these books focus on Chicago's urban poor and examine the creative ways people find to survive, including taking the law into their own hands. Venkatesh's writings and stories have also appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Slate, National Public Radio, This American Life, WIRED and The Washington Post.

The cast of Good People features ensemble members Alana Arenas, Mariann Mayberry and Molly Regan with Will Allan, Keith Kupferer and Lusia Strus. The production team includes: Walt Spangler (scenic design), Nan Cibula-Jenkins (costume design), Kevin Rigdon (lighting design), and Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (sound design and original music). Additional credits include: Erica Daniels (casting), Christine D. Freeburg (stage manager) and Michelle Medvin (assistant stage manager). Good People runs through November 11 in the Downstairs Theatre.

Tickets to Good People ($20 – $86) are currently on sale through Audience Services (1650 N Halsted St), 312-335-1650 and steppenwolf.org. 20 for $20: twenty $20 tickets are available through Audience Services beginning at 11am on the day of each performance (1pm for Sunday performances). Rush Tickets: half-price rush tickets are available one hour before each show. Student Discounts: a limited number of $15 student tickets are available online using promo code "PEOPLE15". Limit 2 tickets per student; must present a valid student ID for each ticket. For additional student discounts, visit steppenwolf.org/students. Group Tickets: all groups of 10 or more receive a discounted rate for any performance throughout the season. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org/groups.