WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
Some people thrive in desk jobs. Pro wrestlers do. Sort of. They like to see desks crashing down on somebody's back. Now you can crash their workspace Saturday when World Wrestling Entertainment's "Tour of Defiance" comes to the Baltimore Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. The show, which begins at 5 p.m., brings some of the biggest and baddest stars of wrestling into one ring. Don't miss all your Smackdown! favorites tagging off in a show of brawn, stunts and tenacity. Featured will be WWE champ Brock Lesnar (pictured), Big Show, Torrie Wilson, Rey Mysterio and more (lineup subject to change). Tickets are $20 to $40. Call 410-481-SEAT.
Brett Butler at the Improv
It's worth seeing stand-up comic Brett Butler just to hear that Southern drawl. But there's so much more to the former star of ABC's Grace Under Fire. Her candor and scathing wit will be front and center at the Baltimore Improv tonight through Sunday. Show times are 8:30 tonight, 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25. The Improv is located in the Power Plant Live! Plaza, 6 Marketplace. Call 410-727-8500.
Robert Klein at the Mechanic
You may have seen him on Broadway. You may have seen him on various network and cable TV shows. Now you can behold comedian Robert Klein at the Mechanic Theatre. Klein, credited with being the first comedian in concert on HBO, performs Sunday at 8 p.m. as part of the 12th-anniversary celebration of Yeshivat Rambam, a school for Jewish students in Northwest Baltimore. The event, which also honors Dr. David Sidransky, an acclaimed oncologist, kicks off with a pre-show cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m for those who donate $150 to the school. Regular ticket prices are $27.50 to $37.50. The Mechanic is located at 25 Hopkins Plaza. Call 410-481-SEAT or 410-358-8419 for pre-show tickets.
FOOD AS ART
Call it a feast for the eyes. At Sheppard Art Gallery, 8173 Main St. in Ellicott City, A Visual Feast features a collection of original oil paintings, pastels and watercolors inspired by -- what else -- food! The art of garlic cloves, a habanero pepper, a spilled bag of coffee beans, a plate of sushi and much more await to subtlely and colorfully whet the appetites of visitors. A free artists' reception will be held Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. It includes music by the Exuberance Fiddle Group, wine and hors d'oeuvres. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The show runs through January. Admission is free. Call 410-461-1616.
Dance and music from Senegal
The name says ballet but there'll be singing and music as well as dance when Le Ballet National du Senegal performs at Morgan State University at 8 p.m. Saturday. The high-energy group, known for its pulsating drums, dances, acrobatics, costumes and animal masks, will be on stage at the Murphy Fine Arts Center, 2201 Argonne Drive. Tickets are $25-$40. Call 410-481-SEAT.
Centenarian sisters have their say
The spotlight's on American history from the perspective of two siblings who lived from the 1890s to the 1990s. The Arena Players is bringing Having Our Say, the Broadway play about the real-life Delany sisters, to its stage. The production stars Hilda V. Peacock (left) as 103-year-old Sadie and Corlis Hayes as 101-year-old Bessie, who sit in their New York kitchen one afternoon and reminisce about more than 100 years of personal and American history. The show begins tomorrow at the Arena Players, 801 McCulloh St., and runs through Dec. 8. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $15, $10 for seniors and students with ID. Call 410-728-6500.
Clayworks' holiday show
Artists are coming from near and far to show off ceramics, pottery and other decorative works at Baltimore Clayworks' eighth annual holiday exhibit, Winterfest 2002. Thirty-one artists from around the country will participate in the exhibit at the Clayworks Gallery Building, 5707 Smith Ave. On display and for sale will be such items as a whimsical porcelain teapot, a soda-fired mug, a colorful serving platter and much more. The free exhibit kicks off with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and continues through Dec. 23. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 410-578-1919.