Carlos Mencia brings his standup act to Schaumburg

Comedian Carlos Mencia has performed in standup clubs, acted in movies and hosted his own TV show, "Mind of Mencia." He will give audiences a taste of his standup tonight when he performs at the Improv Comedy Schowcase in Schaumburg.

Here is the edited transcript of a recent phone interview with Mencia.

On his current tour:"When I normally get ready to shoot a special, there's a bunch of clubs in California, especially in the L.A. area, that I can go to. I've had a bunch of people say, 'Why didn't you come to our city and do that?' I thought it would be interesting to go around the country and try this material out on America. For the first time ever, I'm going to get a good cross-section of people reacting."On smaller shows:"When I'm performing for 4,000, 5,000 people, it's a show. It's a rock 'n' roll concert. When people pay to see that kind of show, I just don't feel comfortable experimenting. In a comedy club, I find that I can really dictate how to perform the material. So I have the ability not only to perform the jokes, but perform them at different levels of intensity."On performing in Chicago:"Chicago is pretty much my favorite city to perform in. For some reason, people from the Chicago area have an amazing attitude. One time there was, like, three feet of snow and I thought, we'll be happy if people show up. I swear to God, the show was sold out, and everybody showed up. It was one of the best shows I've ever done, and I was thinking, 'Man, I love people from Chicago.'"On his Latino roots:"I don't think Latino, I think like me. If that happens to be Latino, then I guess that's me. But it doesn't affect my comedy in any way. I never think, 'Oh, I'm going to do this joke because it's pro-Latino.' I think, 'I like tacos.' I don't know what that says about me. I just know that when it comes to my job, I want to be the funniest I can possibly be."On offending others:"I don't think I push boundaries. I find that other people feel that way. To me, it's just about going up there and speaking the truth, whatever that is. I have a line I recite to myself and others. 'If the worst thing in your life is that a comedian told a joke you think is offensive, God bless you. You must have an amazing life.'"Carlos MenciaWhere: Improv Comedy Showcase, 5 Woodfield Shopping Center, SchaumburgWhen: 9:15 and 11:59 p.m. todayTickets: $35Information: Age 18 and up. Call (847) 240-2001 or visit improv.com/comedyclub/chicago.