Clown Gale LaJoye Returns to Segerstrom Center in Encore Tour of SNOWFLAKE This Weekend

The heartwarming and hilarious one-man show, Snowflake, starring Gale LaJoye returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts this weekend, April 26 & 27 in Samueli Theater.

Without a single word spoken, LaJoye's character helps a child turn sorrow into joy. With his unique blend of comic genius, slapstick, feats of balance and tender moments, LaJoye spins a tale of a creative and gentle soul that entertains and takes delight in turning simple objects into comic treasures. His mastery of timing, nuance and subtle style touches the spirit and causes laughter, tears and pangs of recognition that make this a show for all ages. Ventura County Star states, "Gale LaJoye's wordless one-man show has a lot to say about humanity."

There will be free pre-show creative play activities beginning one hour before each performance. The Center's Education and Community Programs Department offers these activities to provide young people and their families more opportunities to play creatively together. Studies show creative play is critical in helping children develop their ability to think and problem solve.

Snowflake is recommended for children ages 4 - 8. Tickets are $20 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746.

Gale LaJoye grew up and lives in Marquette, Michigan. It is here that LaJoye began and continues to study how people respond to situations and each other. Over time, LaJoye has learned how to integrate his observations into funny and poignant stories without words - stories that turn sorrow into joy and inspire us to embrace life.

LaJoye has worked to make a difference in the lives of others his entire life. In college he enrolled in pre- law. When required to take a humanities or theatre course, LaJoye chose theatre. Soon after, he shifted his focus from pre-law to theatre, when he discovered how plays can change people's lives. His initial dramatic roles were in Chekov's Three Sisters and as the lead, Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest. Early on, LaJoye developed a reputation for portraying complex characters - characters that rely on physical humor and non-verbal communication. After college, LaJoye attended the Valley Studio in Spring Green Wisconsin, where he studied mime, commedia dell′ arte and the Japanese art of Kabuki.

In 1973, LaJoye ran off to Florida to be with the greatest show on earth - Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. While with the circus, he mastered the art of gesture, silent communication and poignant short story telling. Within four years, LaJoye became "Boss Clown" - one of the highest honors in the circus tradition.

In 1979, fate dealt Gale LaJoye a crushing blow. After a car accident, his doctors advised him he would "never walk again." Driven to be a performer, LaJoye immediately began rebuilding his body and using humor to heal his mind and soul. Today, you would never imagine LaJoye was once paralyzed.

After regaining his balance and the ability to perform physical stunts in the early 1980s, LaJoye produced the critically acclaimed and much loved Too Foolish for Words. After touring this silent comedy around the globe, LaJoye set to work to produce Snowflake.

After premiering Snowflake in 1990, LaJoye embarked on a global tour. For the last 24 years, LaJoye's Snowflake has toured throughout Asia, Australia, Mexico, Canada, Scotland, Ireland and the United States. Hailed by critics and audiences alike as "a must see," LaJoye has performed Snowflake thousands of times. In Japan alone, he toured Snowflake to 300 cities.

When not on tour with Snowflake, LaJoye is developing his next tour de force. His next production is slated to premiere after this encore tour of Snowflake ends. Like no other, LaJoye weaves different schools of theater into funny and poignant stories that help adults and children turn sorrow into joy.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds The Charles & Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation, Inc. for its support of the Family Series. United Airlines is the Official Airline of the Center.

Segerstrom Center's Education Programs: Segerstrom Center's Education and Community Programs Department offers a variety of programs to students from elementary school through the university level, teachers, arts administrators and individuals who simply want to broaden their own experiences but not in a structure that is strictly academic. These programs achieve two especially important objectives. First, they develop the audiences of the future. Second, they integrate the arts into the standard curriculum and enhance learning, creative thinking, cognitive and social skills. The Education and Community Programs Department works hand-in-hand with a number of boards of education, providing support and assistance to ensure the success and effectiveness of the Center's programs.

The popular Family Series engages, enchants and inspires youngsters with the magic of live performance. International Artists combine music, dance and theater that can be enjoyed by the entire family, creating experiences that instill an appreciation for the arts and create lifelong memories. For more information about the Center's education programs, visit SCFTA.org/education.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi- disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization and owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Rene?e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family- friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony® Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

SNOWFLAKE

Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Samueli Theater April 26 & 27, 2014

Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 3:30 p.m.

615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Tickets start at $20.

SCFTA.org

(714) 556-2787

Information provided is accurate at the time of printing, but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a private, non- profit organization. "Segerstrom Center for the Arts" is a registered trademark.

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