The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Chicago Community Trust are offering an early holiday gift for small theatres and cultural organizations: the Arts Engagement Exchange, a new online resource that encourages organizations to share marketing tips and strategies. Formerly the Chicago Wallace Audience Engagement Network and developed by digital design firm Mightybytes through a grant from the Wallace Foundation, the site aims to help arts nonprofits share and develop “best practices” in building audiences.

Broadway in Chicago has launched its own blog through ChicagoNow, Off Broadway in Chicago that also aims to help link up online resources for theatres, including blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. (Now, if only we can get people to stop texting IN the theatre!) Goodman Theatre also launched a new multimedia site a couple months ago , which adds bells and whistles (read: video interviews with artists) to the regular Goodman content.

Funnyordie.com, watch out! The Lincoln Lodge announces a partnership with Rooftop Media, Inc. to publish and distribute original comedy content, joining almost 20 other comedy clubs around the world. The content will be available through numerous outlets, including iTunes, YouTube, and Hulu.

Gay? There’s an app for that. Okay, not exactly, but Windy City Media Group has a new iPhone application exclusively for gay news. If you want to be able to get breaking news from Windy City Times, download the app at http://appstore.iphonedownloadblog.com/app/windy-city-times-news/.

Musical theatre artists who are members of the Dramatists Guild can still attend the Dec. 7 musical theatre director/dramatist exchange at the Goodman at 7 p.m., sponsored by the local DG branch. Douglas Post, Chicago regional rep for the Guild, and Elizabeth Margolius of DirectorsLabChicago co-host the event, which is limited to 20 members who have not participated in a Guild exchange in the last 18 months. E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to reserve a spot, and include a statement with your contact info, brief professional bio in the third person, and a synopsis of a musical on which you’re currently working. And if you’re looking for a good theatre venture to support this holiday season, consider www.dgfund.org, the “giving branch” of the Guild that helps nurture writers (such as Marisa Wegrzyn, winner of this year’s Wasserstein Prize).

Fusion Theatre Company in Albuquerque, New Mexico is accepting submissions for its annual New Works Fest. The theme is “Hidden Agendas,” and the seven plays accepted as finalists will be produced next June. The deadline for submissions is April 23. See the website for more details.

Some interesting shows of note: On Sunday, Nov. 29, Chicago improv vet Erick Esteban brings his show A Fight Club for One to the Lakeshore Theater. Esteban recounts his escapades as the only Filipino kid growing up in a tough West Side neighborhood.

This weekend, Nov. 20 and 21, local actor and magician David Kovac offers up Fooling Buddha at Magic, Inc., 5082 N. Lincoln. Kovac has been gaining more national attention for his comedic magic skills, including appearances at Hollywood’s Magic Castle. And at $15, he’s definitely a cheaper date than Ricky Jay at the Royal George Dec. 1-6.

After all the “death panel” nonsense of the summer, it might be a good time to get a hospice worker’s perspective on the end-of-life experience. In Tying Up Loose Ends, Catherine and Ann Gallogly present a dozen stories about facing the inevitable. Catherine is a longtime hospice worker, and her daughter Ann contributed the music for this play with songs. Jamie O’Reilly directs this show from Breathe Life Productions, which runs Dec. 11-20 at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts’ West Town Studio.

Imerman Angels provides one-on-one support for people with cancer from people who have fought cancer, and they host the fourth annual fundraising happy hour, “Angels on 80,” Dec. 3 on the 80th floor (of course!) of the Aon Building in the Mid-America Club, 200 E. Randolph. It runs from 6:30-10 p.m. and features a DJ, open bar, appetizers, and other performances. Tickets are $40 at the door, $25 in advance, and cancer survivors and fighters will be on hand to talk about their experiences.

Season of Concern and the League of Chicago Theatres hosts “Tis the Season” on Monday, Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Chopin Theatre . This year’s winners of the Larry Sloan Awards, Steppenwolf ensemble member Rondi Reed and journalist/critic (and former “Behind the Curtain” scribe) Jonathan Abarbanel will be honored. All proceeds benefit Season of Concern’s efforts to help members of the theatre community facing catastrophic illness.

The Midwest Independent Film Festival hosts the “Best of the Midwest Awards” on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m. at Rockit Bar and Grill, 22. W. Hubbard. They’re a little short on cash this year, as are so many other arts groups, so if you’d like to toss some change to an organization that has helped keep indie filmmakers and their work front and center year-round, they’d love to have it.

Start your holiday shopping before Black Friday. The School of the Art Institute hosts a holiday art sale Friday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the MacLean Center Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan, where you can purchase one-of-a-kind art pieces, accessories, and other collectibles. The participating students keep 85 percent of the proceeds and the rest goes to the SAIC Student Association.

If you’d like to spend some money with local theatre companies, the Hypocrites are hosting a garage sale of props, costumes, and other conversation pieces from past productions this Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at 4527 N. Ravenswood. Corn Productions hosts the fourth annual “Holidaze Gift Bizarre” on Tuesday, Dec. 8,, 6-9 p.m. at Wishbone, 3300 N. Lincoln. No admission—just show up, buy food and drinks (a portion of which will benefit the company), and buy some stuff in the raffle/silent auction if you’re so inclined.

With apologies to the late great David Lloyd, creator of the classic “Chuckles the Clown” episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” if you have a yen for “a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants,” then Cirque du Soleil wants to hear from you. The company’s current production of Banana Shpeel is searching for one lucky winner to entertain at the Chicago Theatre during the pre-show on Dec. 9. Send in a 60-second video of your best vaudeville chops by Nov. 30 (18 and older only). Runners-up will receive tickets to the show that night. For details, visit http://www.broadwayworld.com/shpeel.cfm

Some people fill stockings this time of year, others use different means to show off their generous, um, attributes. The D-Cup Diatribes, opening in previews on Nov. 27 at Gorilla Tango Theatre , hosts a kick-off party at the G-Boutique, 2131 N. Damen, on Dec. 1, 7-9 p.m. The creators and star of this show about female body image will be on hand, and the party will include free bra fittings and other goodies, including CDs from playwright/producer/recording artist Melody Swink.

A couple extensions to announce: Raven Theatre will run Death of a Salesman through Jan. 16, and Theo Ubique keeps Man of LaMancha up at the No Exit through Dec. 20.

Finally, a couple of sad announcements. If you’ve worked in Chicago theatre for any length of time, you undoubtedly benefitted from the hard work of Jeff Marlin, a former production artist at the Chicago Reader who helped put together more theatre festival sidebars (among many other duties) than I can possibly remember. I had the great privilege of working with Jeff for over three years, and was saddened to learn that he lost his battle with leukemia in October. Word is that there will be an exhibit of his paintings in January at Corbett vs. Dempsey Gallery. Meantime, his family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Natural Resources Defense Council. My deepest condolences to his wife, Nathalie, and all the many people who loved Jeff—a true mensch and a gentleman.

And our deepest sympathies as well to Chicago actor Kerry Cahill and her family. Her father, Michael, was one of the victims—and the only civilian casualty—of the Fort Hood massacre. We know that there is absolutely nothing any of us can say that will help—but we are keeping you in our thoughts.

Keep your loved ones close this season—and share your news with This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it