Gale LaJoye

Gale LaJoye is a clown who grew up and is now based in Marquette, Michigan. He combines clowning, mime, circus tricks, and a poignant sense of self to create silent shows that are both funny and sad.

In the early 1970's Gale was a clown and performer with Ringling, and by 1977 he had become Boss Clown of his unit. In 1979 fate dealt Gale a crushing blow. He was involved in a very serious car accident, and was paralyzed. His doctors advised him he would never walk again. Unwilling to accept this, Gale began the slow process of rebuilding his body and keeping his spirits up using humor. Fortunately, he regained his balance and the ability to walk.

After his recovery, LaJoye produced a silent show called Too Foolish For Words, which toured internationally with great success. In 1990, he created another silent show Snowflake. This silent show features Gale as a childlike, innocent homeless guy who lives on a vacant lot strewn with rubbish. Snowflake entertains himself by recycling discarded objects into comic treasures, and turns sorrow into joy, He breathes life into toys, floats in mid-air, makes music out of a bedframe, and dances the Nutcracker on skis. Snowflake has toured throughout the world, and has been performed thousands of times. In Japan alone he toured Snowflake to 280 cities.

When not on tour with Snowflake, Gale is busy developing his next production, which will arrive in the next few years.

To find out more about Gale LaJoye's work, or to see videos, visit his website listed below:

http://www.lajoye.com