Fun around town, for $10 or less: Free: Reception for artist Duane Michals’ exhibition “The Facts of Life,” a collection of politically driven works relating and exploring issues faced by the gay community, at the Merriam Theater (250 S Broad), 5PM. Free Also Free: Old City Coffee (221 Church) presents Guatemala Night, featuring Guatemalan coffee sampling and Central American food, 6PM. Free All Free, All the Time: The XPN Local, Volume 2 CD Release Party......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Combat Footage: “Steven Spielberg, Special Effects, and the War Film,” a workshop examining Spielberg's use of special effects in Empire of the Sun and other works, at Scribe Video Center (4212 Chestnut, 3rd Floor), 6PM. Free (Part of One Film, One Philadelphia) Die Actor Die: Die Actor Die, comedy of many stripes, standup, sketch, and “other silly brick-a-brac” hosted by (Phillyist) Don Montrey at the Khyber (56 S.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Shame of a City: Inside the Filmmaker’s Studio, a film screening and discussion series showcasing local artists and benefiting Gtown Radio, shows The Shame of a City at the Video Library (7141 Germantown Ave), 7PM. $5 Brassy: Chestnut Brass Company performs works by Krzwycki and Higdon at the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia (1906 S. Rittenhouse Sq), 8PM. Free Honky: Full reading of Honky by Greg Kalleres,......