San Antonio solo performance examines Tejano legend of shapeshifting witch-owl Lechuza

San Antonio performance artist and playwright Marisela Barrera is paying tribute to a spooky Tejano legend with her upcoming performance Lechuza Guide to the Lone-Star State.

The solo performance, which Barrera wrote and stars in, is scheduled to run Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday, Aug. 3, at Jump-Start Theater.

The centuries-old legend of La Lechuza originates from Mexico and South Texas, and it tells of a large owl with a woman's face. In the dead of night, her cries mimic those of a baby, luring victims to their deaths. It's believed that seeing, hearing or even dreaming of La Lechuza is a bad omen and a harbinger of death.

With the aid of a prosthetic beak, Barrera will embody the Lechuza as she shapeshifts from woman to owl. Barrera, a self-described "cultural agitator," is a writer and transmedia performance artist who teaches writing at Northwest Vista College.

The performance also will feature musical accompaniment by San Antonio musicians odie and Joe Reyes. Odie is a longtime fixture of the music scene as a member of bands including Buttercup and NASA Country. Joe Reyes is a Grammy award-winning guitarist, producer and engineer.

Lechuza Guide to the Lone-Star State is partially funded by a City of San Antonio Individual Artist Grant awarded to Barrera.