Rhys Thomas is an International Performer, Author and Educator.

Chapter one: Rhys is bitten by a radioactive juggler.

Sorry, nothing so freaky. In reality, Rhys learned to juggle in high school to impress a girl and then lost the girl and juggled to forget. Now he's got an M.F.A. (Master of the Frivilous Arts). Actually, he's got a B.S. (which is the appropriate degree for a journalism major).

With nothing more than a college education and thousands of hours of practice, Rhys taught himself enough juggling, comedy and physics to go from Seattle street performer to international stage sensation.
Along the way he has managed to:

• Support a family for over 19 years by performing for regional theaters, national corporate events, international festivals, museums, schools and meetings of secret societies.

• Appear on worldwide television teaching the mathematics of juggling AND be quoted in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal on the same ecclectic topic.

• Serve as Artist in Residence at The Smithsonian Institution.

• Twice represent the U.S. at the Street Theater World Cup in Shizuoka, Japan.

• Wow audiences on "luxury" and "ultra-luxury" class cruise ships on the Mediterranean, Ionian and Caribbean seas.

• Appear across the nation on Real TV accidently setting his hair on fire.

• Open for such artists as The Smothers Brothers, James Taylor, Leon Redbone, Weird Al Yankovich and Weird Al Gore.

• Perform for over 2,000 at the Intel Pentium IV release party.

• Perform for over 10,000 at NBA half times.

• Appear in the prestigious public shows of both the International Jugglers' Association in Reno, Nevada and the European Juggler Association in Svendborg, Denmark.

• Author two obscure juggling manuals that are now available in Japanese (and English) and selling well on four continents.

The list could go on and on until even his Mom didn't want to read it. In short, Rhys Thomas taught himself everything he knows, became a success in many markets, and is a very happy guy with two lovely daughters and a wonderfully supportive wife.

And they all lived happily ever after.

For My Stalkers:

OCCASIONALLY UPDATED BIOGRAPHICAL LIST THINGY

2006: Broke into Mediterranean cruise ship market
...Started presenting "Just Do More" motivational show to rave reviews
...Camped all over Alaska then performed at their state Fair.
...Returned to Science Museums In Arkansas and South Carolina with Gollyology

2005: Oregon Arts Fellowship recipient (1st juggler ever to receive this affirmation)
...Had a great adventure with the whole family performing in Trinidad (and getting stranded at night in the camen and boa infested karoni swamp).
...Broke in to Caribbean cruise market.

2004 and 2003: Hmmm, I'll have to look this stuff up. I'm too busy to remember.

2002: Rhys Thomas commuted by dogsled across six miles of frozen ocean to perform for Siberian Yupik Eskimos as part of an Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) outreach tour to the Bering Strait.
...toured his Science Circus to Vancouver, British Coloumbia for a Spring Break performance series at "Science World."
...regretfully turned down a request to perform the Science Circus in Jerusalem, Israel.
...Was asked for promotional materials by a DISNEY executive in Florida. Scouting?
...Had his "Meteors" juggling manual published in Japanese for Naranja juggling Co. in Japan and started distributing it in English through circus suppliers in England and Germany.

2001: Rhys performed to raise money for Clowns Without Borders, a humanitarian group that exports smiles to war torn areas worldwide. Also did fundraiser for the Oregon Food bank Raphael House, and other charities.
...Opened for The Smothers Brothers!
...Performed 5 full theater concerts with accompanist, "Shoehorn", in historical theaters across the Pacific Northwest.
...Knocked 'em dead at banquet shows for NW Public Power, Glaxo Smith Klein, CH2M, Intel, Pixelworks, Etc. Concert.
...Toured the "Science Circus" for OMSI all over Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Northern California.
...Wowed crowds at the Discovery Science Center for a week in Santa Ana, California.
...Did a Cinco De Mayo gig in Michigan (go figure?)

2000: That nutty Rhys guy signed on with OMSI and began touring his "Science Circus" to schools from California to Alaska as part of their outreach program.
...Opened for the keynote speaker at the Intel Pentium IV release party .
...Performed his full JuggleMania show for theaters in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington
...Was requested to open the Oregon Innovators In Education Conference with his innovative "Science Circus." Quite an honor.
...repeatedly performed for the Portland Trailblazers (win or lose).
...Accompanied the SouthWest Washington Youth Symphony in a full concert.
...Taught a "Street Performing at Your Festival" workshop for the International Festival and Events Assn. (OR, WA, ID, MO chapters)
...Taught "Time Management" for the Arts Northwest Booking Conference.
... Banquet shows for many groups including Nike, SYSCO, Hewlett Packard, Oregon Telecom,Mint Growers League, JavaOne, National Timber Framers Guild, etc.
...Headlined the Lodi Juggling Festival (CA)

1999: Rhys Thomas competed as only American in World Cup Street Performance
Competition, Shizuoka, Japan
....Asked three times by Real TV interviewer to, "Dumb it down," for national TV spot which aired and made Rhys an instant celebrity. Well, it did air.
...Presented 50 performances of "Avalanche Circus" in Oregon and Washington.
...Appeared on national NBA broadcasts warming up crowds for The Blazers.
...Opened the Science Museum of Minnesota in Minneapolis with Bill Nye.
...Published "Meteors" - a manual for learning a Chinese juggling form.
...Won standing ovations from the Oregon chapter of Meeting Professionals Intl.,
Clackamas Chamber of Commerce, Confed. Tribes of Siletz, Western Wood
Products Assn., and Superior Underwriters.
...Performed resort shows for a week in Whistler, B.C.; aced shows at fairs and festivals across the Northwest, museum shows in LA, and performed threater shows for theater and regional arts councils clear out in Eastern Washington, Montana and Wyoming (cultural hotspots, to be sure).

1998 : Rhys Thomas serves as Artist in Residence at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.
...Opens for Vice President Al Gore at grand opening of the Discovery Science Center in Costa Mesa, CA
...Wows 'em at banquet shows across the Northwest for such clients as Intel, Seagate Technologies, Skamania Lodge, Kettle Foods, etc.

1997: Created "World Circus Tour" - an original, 45 minute, multicultural show for the Seattle area library systems - and performed a flawless 40 library tour.
...Appeared in the Northwest On Tour performing arts catalogue.
...Auditioned for Cirque du Soleil in L.A., added to their prestigious performers resource directory.
...Created original skits for corporate events such as Automatic Data Processing's fiscal year party, the Blue Cross Summer Picnic, Confederation Of School Employees, and Seattle Center.
...Emceed the Flying Karamazov Brother's Portland Chatauqua shows, prompting the Oregonian to site Rhys Thomas as being, "on the cutting edge of comedy."
...Emceed the Portland Juggling & Vaudeville Extravaganza for the first time and the Tacoma Ethnic Festival for the 8th time.
...Wowed the crowds at dozens of N.W. arts festivals, regional theaters, and fairs.
...Helped deliver daughter #2, installed a 90' sewer line, wrote articles for Laughmaker's Magazine, raised money for Good Samaritan Industries, and delivered my High School's graduation address - between performing over 200 shows

1996: appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times.
...Was selected to showcase at the Arts N.W. Booking Conference.
...Filmed a Hewlett-Packard commercial.
...Walked stilts at the National Natural Products Expo., Anaheim, CA.
...Taught circus physics monthly at Seattle's Pacific Science Center.
...Taught same at Discovery Science Center in Costa Mesa, California.
...Was the finale act of the Hawaiian International Juggling Festival.
...Opened for Weird Al Yankovic and Leon Redbone.
...Did the International Street Performer's Festival in Alberta, Canada.
...Headlined NBA/Bank of America co-sponsored shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland.
....Directed the very successful Portland Juggling Festival (again).

1995: Highlighted in Juggler's World magazine.
...Appeared in a Burgerville television commercial.
...Breathed fire to introduce baked Kettle Chips.
...Performed to a standing room only crowd at Seattle's Eve Alford Theater.
...Instructed at the National Comedy Workshop.
...Received a standing ovation at Portland's Aladdin Theater.

Past Career Highlights:
...World-wide television broadcast live from ATT Bell Labs in New Jersey.
...Juggled on stilts in an NBC/Disney movie ("To My Daughter With Love" starring Rick Schroeder - Sucked! But the juggling was good).
...Voted "Most Inspirational" at the largest regional juggling festival in America.