Carlos Mencia performs at McCurdy's in Sarasota

Carlos Mencia first came to widespread fame as the host of "The Mind of Mencia," a spotty but often hilarious sketch comedy show on Comedy Central.

But it's apparently stand-up, not sketch work, that is Mencia's true passion, and after doing TV and movies he's returned to the comedy clubs. This weekend, he'll be at McCurdy's Comedy Theatre in Sarasota for five shows.

Like his sketch work from his show, his stand-up work often revolves around race and ethnicity, including poking fun at stereotypes.

He's as controversial as he is popular. Mencia has been repeatedly and publicly accused of plagiarism. The accusations have come from a lot of sources, including "South Park," comedian George Lopez and actor-TV personality Joe Rogan, who has railed in person and though his blog about Mencia's alleged penchant for using other comics' material. He's been accused of stealing an entire long routine from Bill Cosby, and of pandering to Mexican-American audiences by changing his name. (He was born in Honduras, and his birth name is really Ned Mencia or Ned Holness, depending on which sources you pay attention to.)

Details: April 22-24, McCurdy's Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. Show times: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $32. Information: 941-925-3869, mccurdyscomedy.com.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Carlos Mencia performs at McCurdy's in Sarasota ."