Skeeter Reece

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Skeeter Reece
Skeeter Reece performing in 1983
Born
Zachary Reece

1950 or 1951 (age 72–73)
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
EducationTheodore Roosevelt High School, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College
OccupationClown
Military career
Branch United States Army
WarVietnam War

Zachary "Skeeter" Reece (born 1950 or 1951) is an American clown. He became a clown after serving in the Vietnam War.[1][2]

Early life

Reece was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and raised in the Bronx in New York City.[3][4] His parents were Amos, a construction worker, and Ella Mae, who worked in the public school system. They had five children.[5][6] His grandmother nicknamed him "Skeeter" since he was small as newborn.[4]

He spent his childhood in both cities, describing his life in St. Petersburg as "pre-civil rights ... all Black people ... very segregated." In contrast, New York was "a whole different world. White kids, Spanish kids – living in our building!" This, he says, made him a "chameleon", adapting to both environments. In Florida, with his grandmother, he was a good kid, in New York, he would act out and steal.[4][3][7]

He went to

King Charles Troupe of performing unicyclists.[7][4]

Army

Reece joined the

honorable.[1][3][7]

Returning to America at age 21, he later described himself as being in a terrible state, hating America, white people and

the establishment.[3][4] He started "preaching the Black Revolution". His family, worried about him, suggested he could move to Florida where his grandparents lived to calm down, which he did.[1][3][5]

Clowning

Alter and Reece, performing in 1991

In Florida, he had a chance meeting with a cousin who was a member of the King Charles Troupe, and Reece, who was familiar with the troupe from New York, was invited to join. The multi-racial and friendly environment at the circus had a great impact on his outlook on life.[3][8][9] In 1975, Reece joined some clowns in an improvised performance at a Thanksgiving dinner. The clowns had put makeup on him, and Reece felt that this was what he wanted to do. In 1977 he attended Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College,[3][10] which accepted about 50 out of 3000 applicants a year,[7] and became a professional clown.[2][11] He would later return to the Clown College to teach.[4] The unicycle became a part of his clown-act.[5]

Comedian Rain Pryor tells in her memoir that Reece was her mother's boyfriend when Pryor was about nine years old (late 1970s). Her mother, who worked as a photographer for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (Ringling), had introduced her to "the world of clowns". "Endlessly entertaining", Reece practiced magic tricks with her, they played games and he gave her a parakeet that she loved.[12] When she drew a picture of "Skeeter" in school, a teacher told her "Now, Rain, you know there's no such thing as a black clown."[12] Pryor insisted, but the teacher did not believe her. Pryor wanted Reece to come to school with her and prove her point, but he was traveling with the circus.[12] Black circus performers were rare, and as of 1983, he was one of few Black clowns in the US.[7][8]

He performed with the Ringling in venues like Madison Square Garden, the Spectrum,[5][8] the Blue Cross Arena[9] and the Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno.[13] He left the Ringling in 1982.[7] In 1983, he was performing with Circus Vargas as "Goodwill Ambassador".[4] In 1987, he was part of a show called Jamboree at the Riviera in Las Vegas.[14]

In 1994, Reece was the opening act together with

hospital clowns together.[16] In 1996, he warmed up the crowd at a show with comedians Bobby Slayton and Nick Griffin in Las Vegas.[17] In 2000, he performed as part of Clark County School District's Class Act program,[11] as well as with the UniverSoul Circus, an as of 2000 all Black and Hispanic performers circus.[18]

Reece is an Auguste clown, a silent character. In 2021 he said "I love my clown. That's just the way it is now. I know exactly who it is. ... I say 'my clown' because we're two different people."[3]

Gallery

  • Reece in 1991
    Reece in 1991
  • Reece in 1996
    Reece in 1996

References

  1. ^ a b c "Zachary "Skeeter" Reece". Uncle Junior Project. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Ain, Stewart (December 7, 1981). "She's clown for a day and 5,000 laugh". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Zachary "Skeeter" Reece video interview". Uncle Junior Project. 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Laverty, Deborah (July 7, 1983). "Circus advance man spreads good will". Lake Citizen.
  5. ^ a b c d e King, Martin (May 20, 1979). "Bring on a clown and hear his story". New York Daily News. p. 162. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "Obituary for Ella Mae Reece". Herbert T. McCall Funeral Home. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Brown, Phyllis (February 26, 1983). "The man behind the clown face may surprise you". Peninsula Times Tribune.
  8. ^ a b c d Harrison, Claude (June 9, 1981). "Skeeter Reece finds athletic skills are useful as a clown". The Philadelphia Tribune. p. 11.
  9. ^ a b c Murphy, Dede (May 3, 1980). "A melting pot of a circus". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 16. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Mendelsohn, Joyce (November 9, 1977). "Putting On A Happy face". Sarasota Journal. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  11. ^
    ProQuest 260101610
    . Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  12. ^
    ISBN 9780061195426
    .
  13. The Daily Oklahoman
    . June 27, 1981. p. 66. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  14. ^ Usherson, Don (January 3, 1988). "First crystal ball images are of more comedy and nostalgia". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  15. ^ Twitchell, Cleve (June 19, 1994). "Brothers fill night with Yo-ful noise". Mail Tribune.
  16. ^ O'Scannlain, Kevin (August 5, 1992). "ALUMS ACT LIKE CLOWNS AT REUNION". The Oregonian.
  17. ^ Paskevich, Michael (August 30, 1996). "Slayton shows no mercy at Improv tackling subjects other comics avoid". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  18. ^ Cabrera, Cloe (February 11, 2000). "UniverSoul show "is so much more than a circus"". The Tampa Tribune.

External links

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