Comedian Dave Chappelle has been a recognizable movie and TV star for years, but next week, Penn Staters will get a chance to see him up close and personal as he takes the stage for his sold-out show at 8 p.m. Monday in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Chappelle, who has been doing stand-up since the age of 14, is also well known for his acting roles in such films as Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Blue Streak, The Nutty Professor and Half Baked.

During his career as a stand-up comic, he has shared the stage with David Letterman, Whoopi Goldberg and Richard Pryor.

Some Penn Staters are long-time fans of Chappelle and look forward to being able to see the comic in person again.

"I saw Dave Chapelle once before and he was hilarious," said Marcia Wright (freshman-journalism). "I'm really excited to see him again."

While Chappelle's career has finally taken off, it took him many years to get there. After three failed sitcoms and a few guest spots on other shows, Chappelle finally got the idea to write his own script using his brand of humor.

Nineteen ninety-eight marked the release of Half Baked, which he co-wrote, co-produced and starred in as Thurgood Jenkins/Sir Smoke-a-lot. The film became one of his most popular and propelled Chappelle as a big name on the silver screen.

"Half Baked is one of my favorite movies," said Lindsey Norton (freshman-film and video). "After seeing him in that, I can't wait to see him live."

The 28-year-old D.C. native comes to Penn State thanks to the Multicultural Music Series, which is run by the University Concert Committee. Craig Mandel (senior-real estate), publicity chair for the UCC, said he is excited to present the popular comedian to Penn State.

"We are very excited to have such a popular comedian that really caters to the college crowd," said Mandel. "Tickets disappeared in a day which shows a lot of interest for the show."

According to UCC's Web site, those without tickets can show up at 7 the night of the show. There will be someone working that night to collect extra tickets from people and distributing them to people that need them. If you show up early, there may be a good chance of obtaining tickets.

One of Chappelle's most recent projects include working on a dream of his in which he plans to star as his friend and mentor Charles Barnett, a street comedian who died of complications from AIDS. Fans can also catch him in Undercover Brother, which will be released later this year.

In the meantime, Staters are eager to see Chappelle on stage and in the flesh next week.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing him because I've always been a fan of his parts in the movies," said Dave Racchini (junior-broadcast journalism). "He's simply a natural when it comes to comedy."