At only 26 years of age, Sarah Weddington made her mark in history as she argued before the Supreme Court and won the precedent-setting case Roe v. Wade, affirming a woman's right to abortion in the United States. Not only is she the youngest woman to try-and win-a case before the Supreme Court, she also became the first female Representative elected to the Texas House and the first woman to be appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's General Counsel. She continued her work in politics on women's issues and leadership outreach, and now writes, travels and lectures across the country. (Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Johnson Chapel. Reception and book signing to follow.)

Williams College is hosting the Mandala Exhibit, for which two Namgyal Monastery monks will construct a sand mandala through a meticulous process that involves layering tiny grains of colored sand in geometric shapes and symbols of ancient spiritual significance. In Sanskrit, mandala means "circle": it is a sacred diagram which symbolizes a perfected universe of purity while enhancing feelings of peace, wholeness, wellness and goodness. Painting with sand is one of the most unique artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism. Throughout the exhibit, viewers can watch this creative masterpiece grow from nothing to completion and back to nothingness, when the sand will be ceremoniously dispersed. (Starts Tues., through May 3, Williams College Museum of Art.)

Coming all the way from Louisiana, the Iguanas, who have been together for ten years, bring to Massachusetts a mix of Caribbean and Latin tunes with the atmosphere of an exotic New Orleans night. The Iguanas just came out with a new CD, "Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart." Their show will feature a sultry combination of guitar, accordion, saxophone and bass. (Tues., 8 p.m., Iron Horse in Northampton.)

It might look like yet another installment of the suddenly red-hot ethnic rom-com genre, but make no mistake: Gurinder Chadha's "Bend it Like Beckham" uses neither the cheap, stereotype-laden gimmickry of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" nor the fantastical whimsy of "Monsoon Wedding" to tell its story of a young Indian girl living in Britain and torn between her duty to her traditional parents and her all-consuming love for football (or, as you silly Americans call it, soccer). Rather, it's rousing in an unabashedly Hollywood manner, yet drawn with such originality that it's a breath of fresh air in a disgustingly glutted market. (Now playing at Hoyts Cinemas in Hartford, Conn.)