Meet 'La Payacita Lucy,' a beloved clown who performs on Milwaukee's south side

Think of a clown.

You likely picture a man with white make-up and red nose. Maybe the terrifying character from “It.” And odds are, you don’t think of them as very funny and might, in fact, hate them.

Meet “La Payacita Lucy” ― or “Lucy the clown.”

A staple in Milwaukee’s south side, Carmen Lucia Coss Y Leon has performed as a clown for years. Whether it’s children’s events, adult birthday parties, fundraisers or special events, she’s done it all.

Coss Y Leon, 56, was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and moved to U.S. in the early 2000s. She now lives in the Clarke Square Neighborhood, where she’s been praised for her entrepreneurial spirit.

She takes joy in making people smile, whether it’s through her full-time job as a caregiver for elderly clients or in her side hustle as a clown.

One time, a girl, about 4 years old, drew a picture of her in costume. She still has it.

“I love making people laugh,” she told the Journal Sentinel. “Making people have fun and helping others is a big passion for me.”

Coss Y Leon answered a few questions from the Journal Sentinel about her work as a clown and her love for the community.

The interview was conducted in Spanish and has been translated into English. Some answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

How did you get into this kind of job?

As a little girl, I would always go to downtown Guadalajara and watch the clowns there perform. Something always caught my eye about them. Ever since I was little girl, it has excited me.

When I lost my bar — I had a bar for 5 years — I went to work at Miller Park cleaning. I made $10 an hour. Watching clowns perform there. I thought “I want to be a clown.”

I later went to Guadalajara and asked my sister for help finding a clown who would be willing to teach me the craft. At first, I didn’t think it was worth the money, but my sister convinced me to invest. She reminded me that in order to make something work, you need to invest in it.

So I did. I paid a clown to teach me the art of balloon making, magic tricks and more. It stuck.

I came back to the U.S. with these skills and started making more money.

I’ve always liked to sing and dance. I don’t have a voice for singing, so I think something about performing has always caught my attention.

Do you remember your first time performing as a clown? What was it like?

It was a disaster. I painted a child’s face, and he started crying. I did such an awful job. I tried to paint the incredible Hulk on his face, and it came out terrible. From there, I started practicing on my nieces and nephews. Then, I started perfecting my craft and I stopped face painting at parties to focus on performing magic tricks.

Who is your audience? 

I perform for kids, but also in a lot in fundraisers for sick people and their families who are looking to raise money. I always provide free services for fundraisers. If someone calls me, for example if someone needs money for an operation, I’ll donate my earnings from my shows to that cause.

How do you respond to people who say they don’t like clowns?

If someone has hired me and does not end up liking the show or having fun, I don’t charge them. In the 22 years I’ve been doing this, that has only happened twice. I remember one time, I made a joke about a man at a show, and his wife did not like it. She blew up and yelled at me. She told me not to talk about her husband in that way. By the end of the night, she apologized and I got her to participate in the show.

I try to make light of situations and make people laugh regardless.

What is the hardest part about being a clown?

Making people laugh. Luckily, I don’t run into that problem a lot. Very few people have had issues with my performances. In those cases, I ignore them and focus on the people who are laughing and making the show fun for them.

Have you run into any adults or children who have been scared of you?

Answer: Yes. I can remember at least two instances where teenagers were scared of me. I treated the situation the same way I treated it if a child was scared of me. I talked to them and showed them that there was nothing to be afraid of. By the end of the day, they felt better.

Do you find yourself using your skills as a clown when you take care of your elderly clients? 

Yes, we have a lot of fun and I’m always making them laugh. They admire me a lot. Sometimes I have to ask them If I work for them or if they are working for me. I get there, and sometimes they’ve already gotten some cleaning done. There have been times when I get to a client’s home, and they’ve cooked a meal for me. I have to remind them that I’m working for them, and not the other way around.

Jessica Rodriguez is a Report for America corps reporter who focuses on news of value to underserved communities for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. You can reach her at jessica.rodriguez@jrn.com. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort at JSOnline.com/RFA.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee clown La Payacita Lucy brings joy to south side