The 2005-2006 season of the Family Series at the University of Missouri-Rolla will begin with “Snowflake” at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23.

The performance, presented by Gale LaJoye, will be held at Leach Theatre in Castleman Hall, 10th and Main streets in Rolla. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for youths 18 and younger. The Sir Leach Family Series Punch Card is also available to patrons for $30, and provides five admissions to any of the Family Series shows, saving audience members up to $12 each.

LaJoye’s “Snowflake,” hailed by critics and audiences as a “must see,” has toured throughout Asia, South America, Australia, Mexico, Canada and the United States. In the alley he calls home, a character named Snowflake transforms an old car into a comfy bed, uses a rusted saw as a musical instrument, and choreographs his own ballet wearing skis instead of toe shoes. Seen through Snowflake’s eyes, an alley full of old trash becomes a world of new treasures.

A one-man show which uses a clever set, dozens of props, original music and a character who never utters a word, “Snowflake” is a celebration of humanity, honesty, good humor and the need we have for each other. In a performance reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, LaJoye weaves different schools of theater into funny and poignant stories that help adults and children turn sorrow into joy.

The next Family Series performance will be “The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion” on Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. For more information on the UMR Family Series, call the Leach Theatre Box Office at (573) 341-4219.