Tyler Sutter and Carl Skenes, known as the 20 Penny Circus, are a dark and twisted clown duo who perform magic tricks and insane stunts with humor and a vaudevillian-meets-punk rock flair.
Sutter, who had an interest in circus and performing from a young age, broke into the biz performing magic shows at the Universal Studios Magic Shop, where he performed more than 30,000 shows. He currently lives in Gulfport, when not performing, and runs a costume business making high-end swimmable mermaid tails with his wife.
The duo has been been the main attraction at Universal Halloween Horror Nights, and in 2013, they hosted the headlining show "Cirque Du Fringe" at the Rochester International Fringe Festival. Returning to Rochester in 2014 as double headliners, they wrote and hosted “Cirque du Fringe Mardis Gras!” and a special 20 Penny Circus adult show, all set in the “Magic Crystal Spiegeltent," giving them a reputation as the “Faces of Fringe."
Sutter told CL managing editor Scott Harrell in a story earlier this year that the duo has begun a collaboration with St. Pete writer and provocateur Casey Paquet. It was the first time 20 Penny Circus sought any outside input, and Sutter says the chemistry brought out the best in all involved.
"I would say our first show was basically just two clowns trying to kill each other," Sutter told Harrell. "This show has more meaning to it, it has a theme, truth and reality and their relationship to trust and faith.
During the duo's last show at the Tampa Improv on Aug. 20, Skenes did a strip tease and then had a bowling ball hang from his balls (at least that was the illusion), and then he walked on glass. Sutter helped an audience member stand on Carl’s head with his head resting on the glass. Sutter also had an audience member pull a coin from his nose with a surgical scissor.
In the photos below, photographer Kevin Tighe gives us an intimate peek before the magic happens. Scroll down to see a behind-the-scenes view of 20 Penny Circus's most recent show at the Tampa Improv.
20 Penny Circus performs again on Sept 5 in Orlando at the Carmine Boutique, 2708 N. Orange Blossom Trail. carmineboutique.com.
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2015.