Roustabout preview show @ Neo-Futurarium

The Neo-Futurists kick off their 2006-07 season with Roustabout: The Great Circus Train Wreck!, a play that takes as its inspiration a train accident that happened in Chicago in 1918. There will be preview shows tonight and tomorrow at the Neo-Futurarium, and the play officially opens on Saturday, August 26. The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 PM through September 30. Tickets are $10 for preview shows, $15 during the regular run, $10 for seniors and students with ID, and pay-what-you-can on Thursdays. For more information or to purchase tickets, please see the Neo-Futurist Website or call the Neo-Futurist hotline at (773) 275-5255. Neo-Futurarium: 5153 N. Ashland (at Foster).

Revenge of the Book Eaters @ Park West

826CHI hosts a benefit tonight at Park West (322 W. Armitage), and the line-up is indie glitterati: BEN GIBBARD (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service), IRA GLASS (producer and host of This American LIfe), DAVE EGGERS (author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius), ZZ PACKER (author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere) and JOHN RODERICK (The Long Winters). Tickets are $35, and the show starts at 8:30pm. A pre-event reception with the performers takes place at 6:30; that'll set you back a hundred bucks.

Comics for Change

The first of its kind, the Comics for Change show features Bill Cruz, Renee Gauthier, Mike Olson and Dwayne Kennedy. Allison Leber hosts the event which benefits the Midwest Workers Association. $12 at the Mix, 2843 N. Halsted. 8pm with open bar from 8:30-9:30pm. Call 219-916-1710 for more information.

American Craft Exposition Collectors' Hour and Benefit Preview

Join fellow collectors, both connoisseurs and novices, for the 22nd American Craft Exposition, featuring works in metal, glass, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, baskets, mixed media and more. Produced by the Auxiliary of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, the three-day show (August 25-27) will be held at the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion at 2311 Campus Drive in Evanston. The show benefits breast and ovarian cancer research at the hospital, so not only will you have the opportunity to check out some pretty cool wares, you'll also know your money is going toward independent artisans and vital research. It's a two-for-one that can't be beat. Hours are Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm. Tickets are $15 at the door and include re-entry throughout the weekend, but if you buy them online before August 23 you'll only have to pay $12.

Tonight's Collectors' Hour and Benefit Preview Party gives you the opportunity to see and purchase the artwork before the general public. There will also be a party complete with tasty bites and the chance to talk to the artists directly and learn more about their work. The Collectors' Hour begins at 5:30pm, with the $150 tickets including the benefit party and admission to the Exposition. Tickets to just the 6:30pm-9:30pm party are $100 and include admission to the Exposition. Call 847-570-5096 for more information.

Bar AIDS

AIDSCare, a local nonprofit organization for people living with HIV/AIDS, is sponsoring Bar AIDS tonight at various bars around the Chicago area. Attend one of the participating bars listed on the AIDSCare page sometime this evening, and a portion of the bars' sales will be donated to the organization. See the AIDSCare site for full details.

Sara Gruen @ Borders

Author Sara Gruen has been getting rave reviews for her latest novel, Water for Elephants. Today she appears at the Borders at 830 N. Michigan Ave. to read from this best-selling book. 7pm. Free. Call 312-573-0564 for more information or visit the Borders website.

Timothy Guilfoyle @ Barnes & Noble

Historian Timothy Guilfoyle talks about his critically-acclaimed book, Millennium Park: Creating a Landmark, today at the Barnes & Noble at the DePaul Center (1 E. Jackson Blvd.). 12:30pm. Free.

Europe-Chicago -- World-Class Jazz @ Millennium Park

Ken Vandermark's Territory Band performs along with cutting edge Scandinavian musicians at the Pritzker Pavillion, free, 6:30 PM. For more information, visit the website.