Sculpt a sonnet and harangue in haiku between mouthfuls of desert and sips of cappuccino at The Second Annual Center Poetry Cafe at the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, on Friday, Oct. 9. Readings and performances will be presented from 6 to 9 p.m., along with cafe fare, in conjunction with the Cleveland State University Poetry Center. Phone 216-421-8671 for more details.

Excavate history through film with Conceiving Ada, on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9 and 10, at 7 p.m. The 1997 film, inspired by Lord Byron's daughter, the Victorian prodigy Lady Ada Lovelace, will be screened at Ohio State University's Wexner Center for the Arts. Director Lynn Hershman Leeson incorporates modern design and technology to compose the nineteenth century story of a mathematician, years ahead of her time. Call the center at 614-292-0330 for further information.

The Cleveland Public Theatre provides introspection into communal ties with its presentation of Moonlodge, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9 and 10, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 11, at 4 p.m., as part of The American Indian Festival. Canadian Margo Kane stars in this tale of one girl's disparaging isolation from all she is familiar with, obstructed from home and family, and barred even from her cultural identity. Student tickets are $8. The box office phone number is 216-631-2727.

Splicing Medieval dance with rambunctious acts of minor violence, Rigor Morris cavorts with dynamic verve across the grounds of the Cleveland Museum of Art on Saturday, Oct. 10. The dance troupe performs authentic English Morris folk dances in the outdoor courtyard, at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The event occurs as part of the Games Weekend celebrating the renovation of the Armor Court. Contact the museum at 216-421-7340 for more information.

Join more than 200 bushels of apples for a wholesome variety of amusements this weekend, Oct. 10 and 11, at The 50th Annual Apple Butter Festival. The opulent display of this season's harvest includes saw mill demonstrations, flea market items, and a scrumptious celebration of orchard fare, from cider and spices simmered in copper kettles, apple fritters, apple butter, and other confections. The expansive celebration takes place at the Century Village Museum in Burton. Call 440-834-1492 for more details.

The allure and vivid mystique of Argentinean legend take the stage as The Cleveland Orchestra performs Maria de Buenos Aires, A Tango Opera, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m. in Severance Hall. Characters mingle and merge in the sultry urban landscapes, with brilliant tonality. English subtitles will be displayed throughout the production, which commemorates National Hispanic Heritage Month. For more information, call 216-231-1111.

Cinematic possibilities are amplified through technology, as prized Croatian director, Rajko Grlic conducts the intense, How to Make Your Movie: An Interactive Film School, at Ohio State's Wexner Center for the Arts. Unmasking the innovative techniques accessible through the use of CD-ROM, Grlic revolutionizes the composition of film and the processes in its production with this presentation, on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. Grlic, the Eminent Professor of Film at Ohio University, is the director of seven feature films. Dial 614-292-0330 for specifics.

Brutal crime and civil war test the hearts of men, in Shakespeare's Richard III, which opens The Great Lakes Theatre Festival on Oct. 15. Notorious episodes in the history of the House of York come to life at the Ohio Theatre/Playhouse Square Center, through Nov. 1. For show time and ticket information, call 216-241-600 or 800-766-6048.