Game of Throws Festival - Gala Show/Tickets

GALA SHOW

For our 7th annual show celebrating the return of Game of Throws, we have again assembled an incredible cast of performers--acknowledged experts with their respective props. Scroll down for each performer's photo, bio, and YouTube links. Click on each performer's image for their Instagram account or website (images & links will be updated in December).

ONLINE TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM THURSDAY, JANUARY 1ST UNTIL 8PM, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22nd. CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS. (link will be updated in Jan)**
All tickets are $15.
Tickets can also be purchased at the theater (CASH ONLY), or in the gym at the registration desk during the festival (CASH ONLY).

**Our cast list (photos, links, etc..) for 2026 will be updated in December.** The images and information below is from our 2025 show. For 2026, the cast list is as follows:

Unique Derique (Host)

Wes Peden

Gobsmacked (Jasper Murphy and Matt Walmsley)

Jeremiah Johnston

Tim Airwalker

Sam Malcolm

Yuki Ueda

Corey Black

Mo Helton

Easton Smith

The Gunn Juggling Squad

Mark Hayward (Host): Mark Hayward has been a variety arts performer since 1990. He is a World Yo-yo Champion, a member of a World Champion Juggling Team, and a Spin Top Champion. Mark has traveled the world with a yo-yo on his finger (well, mostly in his pocket), and has made appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman (twice), The Late Late Show with James Corden, America’s Got Talent, and the NBC Nightly News (without committing a crime). Someday Mark hopes to perform for both the President and the King. Not being a convicted criminal should help with that.

Gena Shvartsman Cristiani: Gena Shvartsman Cristiani is a fifth generation circus artist from Russia, the child of two accomplished performers. She began training at the age of eight in the art of juggling. In the span of a few short years, her phenomenal talent brought her to United States. By the age of thirteen, she was a star attraction for Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Her skills and experience growing, Gena traveled the world performing in lavish variety and circus shows, as well as competing in elite circus competitions. She was awarded a silver medal at the prestigious International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo, and a silver medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris, France. In addition, she took the coveted gold medal at the World Juggling Federation Championships in Las Vegas.

Jack Denger: Jack Denger has been juggling for 20 years and has received the International Jugglers Association Peoples’ Choice Award, been voted one of the top 40 most popular jugglers of the year five times, and most recently was inducted into the World Juggling Federation Hall of Fame. He currently lives in Indianapolis with his wife, working in finance, and performs his juggling nationwide.

Tana Karo: Professional circus artist Tana Karo/”Tank” has been featured with circus and variety festivals across the USA, China, Tasmania, Melbourne, Amsterdam, and London. Recent accomplishments include touring with Cirque Mechanics as a lead role in the show Zephyr, and completing a two-year Las Vegas Residency at Lost Spirits Distillery.

Kevin Axtell: Kevin Axtell has been juggling for 25 years. His specialties include Club Manipulation, Fire Magic, and event planning. HIs juggling event credits include: Club Congress founder, Fire Drums General Manager, Multi Term IJA Board member - Battle Night co director, Game of Throws Showcase director and Club Motion juggling co founder. he has performed on stages in 14 countries, 35 states, and at 1 dog show.

https://linktr.ee/KevinAxtell

Jesse Patterson: Jesse Patterson is a hoop roller residing in Philadelphia. She studied at the National Centre for Circus Arts in London, UK and has performed at the IJA Cascade of Stars, Young Stage International Circus Festival, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and most recently at Spiegelworld's The Hook in Atlantic City. She currently holds the record for most hoops rolled simultaneously with 11 hoops.

Gideon Elson: Gideon is a juggler and social studies teacher from California who fell in love with juggling at the age of 11. He focuses on creating unique patterns and shapes with 3 and 4 balls. This summer, he won the bronze medal at the IJA stage championship due to his clean, high energy performance featuring creative and rare 3 and 4 ball patterns.

Kaylin Meyer: From Muskegon, Michigan: Kaylin Meyers began juggling after breaking her arm. Soon after she began to share her progress & journey online. Since then she’s gained over half a million followers, been seen on the IJA stage, the Top 40 Jugglers list, & teaches juggling lessons at the Great Lakes Circus Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Flowerpot Squad: Since 2009, an elite and obscure branch of naval security detail has undergone grueling and intense training in the handling and manipulation of garden supplies. These disciplined defenders of our nation’s gardens and gazebos have been a covert military squadron until now! Once you see them you will never look at a flowerpot the same way again.

Cody Carter: Cody Carter is a 23-year-old baton twirler from Phoenix, Arizona who has been twirling for 16 years. Since Cody began twirling at the age of 7, he has competed in four WFNBTA World Baton Twirling Championships in Switzerland, Italy, Norway, and The Netherlands. He is a 4-time WFNBTA World Champion baton twirler, earning 4 Gold Medals in Italy, Norway, and The Netherlands. Cody’s favorite twirling experience was when he competed on Season 11 of America’s Got Talent and made it to the final 80 contestants out of the 24,000 that initially auditioned. “To be a part of a show that is so big, and to have the opportunity to share my twirling with America on the biggest stage, was an experience that I will never forget!”

Marvin Ong & Melanie Webster:

Gunn High School Juggling Squad: For the first time in Game of Throws history, the student club hosting the festival will also be performing in the Gala Show! (kneeling L-R): Owen Ellis, Sofia Solorio Garrison, Naama Gotlieb, Taylor Bisbee. (standing L-R): Randy Zhong, Van Calvert, Kostya Antonov, William Chan.

Matt Hall: Matt Hall began his juggling habit at the tender age of 27, after he purchased Charlie Dancey's Encyclopaedia of Ball Juggling and vowed to learn every trick in the book. He has performed, taught workshops, and emceed all over the U.S., as well as in Scotland, England, Australia, Israel, Canada, The Netherlands, Mexico, Germany, New Zealand and Denmark. Matt has been a high school teacher of Japanese for 25 years, and is enjoying his 5th year as a Japanese teacher at Gunn High School and his 1st year as World Language Department Chair.