Comedian, actor and two-time Def Jam poet Joe Hernandez-Kolski grew up in Chicago, graduated from Princeton and lives in Los Angeles. Today, he'll be at Ball State, speaking as part of the Latino Student Union's Diversity Week.
Hernandez-Kolski, who comes from a Polish-Mexican background, has lived a life of multiculturalism and said he puts that into his performances.
"I grew up on west side of Chicago surrounded by heavy metal headbangers, but I attended a public magnet school in the other part of the city, which was mostly African-American," he said. Those different cultural backgrounds had a strong effect on me."
Hernandez-Kolski will perform at 6 p.m. in Teachers College Room 101.
His show incorporates several mediums, from poetry to comedy to hip-hop theater. He said he tries to utilize all of his background.
"I try to capture that ‘fish out of water' feeling. I have a varied background, so I try my best to give balanced perspectives," he said.
Personal experiences make up the bulk of the show, including a new part of his show, which involves relationships, Hernandez-Kolski said.
"I've learned to always let a woman know your true intentions. Otherwise, you run the risk of falling into the friend zone. I want to save the next generation from the friend zone," he said.
Hernandez-Kolski said he is normally able to "get a dude to ask a girl out" at his shows.
"Same-sex relationships are the same way, if a dude wants to ask a dude out or a girl wants to ask a girl out, I'm all for it. My goal is to create better communication," he said.
Graciela Roman, LSU president, said the organization sought to bring Hernandez-Kolski after hearing he expressed interest in coming to Ball State.
"He came [to Ball State] a few years ago and wanted to come back because he really enjoyed the vibe," she said.
Roman said she has seen some of his acts, but can't wait to see what he performs on campus.
Hernandez-Kolski's professional résumé includes parts in "Hancock," "The Soloist and the ABC Family series "Lincoln Heights." He was also featured in a recent episode of "Mr. Sunshine," which stars Matthew Perry.
He said he has dealt with culture-shock all his life, but his most shocking moment was going to Princeton, where he studied under civil rights champions Cornel West and Toni Morrison.
"I was thrown into a completely different situation. For that reason, I found myself being drawn to theatre and the African-American community," he said, "For a long time I bought into stereotypes that you were only Latino if you had that certain shade of skin."
The strength of his show, Hernandez-Kolski said, comes in his ability to relate.
"I like to think I'm the Glenda the Good Witch of culturally ambiguous munchkins," he said, "The house falls on the bad witch and everyone gets scared s--tless and then Glenda says, ‘It's OK to come out now.'"
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