1985 @ The Factory Theater

The Factory Theater spoofs George Orwell's classic 1984 with a distinctly mid-decade Chicago Bears twist. Eric Roach directs. Located at 3504 N. Elston, between Albany and Kedzie. Showtimes: Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Sundays at 7 through December 19th. Tickets are $20. For information and tickets call (312)-409-3247 or visit The Factory Theater.

Songs of Good Cheer @ Old Town School

The Old Town School of Folk Music presents its 11th annual Songs of Good Cheer concert, an evening of OTS musicians playing holiday music hosted by Chicago Tribune columnists Mary Schmich and Eric Zorn. The concert will be performed tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow night also at 7:30pm, and on Sunday, December 20 at 5pm. Tickets are $40 for the general public, $38 for OTS members and $36 for seniors/children. For more information and to purchase tickets please see the OTS Website. Old Town School: 4544 N. Lincoln. (773) 728-6000.

(500) Days of Summer @ Film Center

The Gene Siskel Film Center presents a series of 2009 films that are potential award winners in the new year. First up in the series: (500) Days of Summer with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film screens this evening at 6pm and again on December 20 at 5:15pm. See the Film Center Website for a complete schedule. Film Center: 164 N. State. (312) 846-2600.

Megan Baker @ AJ Kane Gallery

Opens tonight, 5pm-12am: Photoshop artist Megan Baker's dystopian photography of small decaying towns in the United States. 119 N. Peoria St. Suite 2B. Free. More information here.

Found Footage Festival @ Lakeshore Theater

"A celebration of odd and hilarious found videos" is the slogan for the Found Footage Festival, hosted and narrated by comedians Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher. In 1991 they found a video titled "Inside and Outside Custodial Duties," which was filmed inside a McDonald's break room, and launched their mission to find similarly intriguing videos.They have since been collecting them from dumpsters and garage sales. This now large collection is comprised of outrageous, stupid, strange and outlandish videos. There are two screenings tonight-- one at 7:30pm and one at 10:30pm. Tickets are $12. Lakeshore Theater is located at 3175 N. Broadway. Call them at (773) 472-3492 for more information.

Songwriter Showcase and Open Mic @ Elastic Arts

Justin Petertil of Love Raid and Office hosts the Songwriter Showcase, featuring Madsen Minax of Actor Slash Model and Juliet Mizicko with LaRaie Zimm. Minax's music is Americana Roots music for contemporary lives. Acoustic and sparse, it's powerful with strong lyrical strokes and pithy vocals. The show starts at 9pm, and they're asking for a $7 donation to get in. Elastic Arts is located at 2830 N Milwaukee.

Trendbeheer Meets Proximity Exhibition Opening @ Co-Prosperity Sphere

For the past two years Public Media Institute and Proximity magazine have been collaborating with Trendbeheer.com, a Rotterdam-based Arts initiative, to bring artists and projects to each others' cities. This exhibition, mounted by Thendbeheer, coincides with issue 6 of Proximity magazine, themed (An)Other Worlds. Issue 6 includes an expansive Rotterdam Section and artists interviewed in the issue will be present in Chicago for the Trendbeheer Meets Proximity exhibition. The opening reception is from 7-9pm, performances begin at 9 and go on until 1am. Co-Prosperity Sphere is located at 3219 S. Morgan St.

Dreams Deferred : Encore Performance

Operation Safe Passage, a nonprofit association dedicated to ending youth violence, will put on an encore performance of its stage play, Dreams Deferred.

Also, during intermission, the organization will honor three Chicagoans for their tireless efforts against violent crime: CLTV's Garrard McClendon, Ron Holt (father of slain Chicago teen, Blair Holt), and Clara Kirk, founder of the West Englewood United Organization.

Dreams Deferred is playing at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Hermann Hall Auditorium, 3241 S. Federal St., Chicago. Advance tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for high school students with a photo ID. Doors open at 6:30pm; show time is at 7:30pm. For more information, visit the Save Our Dreams website or call 773-979-2383.