No one has seen the aged hermit since he chopped off the tail of that otherworldly creature he confronted in the dark forest.  The creature with the burning red eyes.

 And most likely, no one will ever find the old man — at least not in recognizable form.

“Taily Bone” was one of the chilling stories related by Dr Atticus Blackheart, the persona adopted by community theatre volunteer Brian Carr, at Thursday’s luncheon of the Rotary Club of McMinnville.  In a darkened and hushed room at First Presbyterian Church, he offered two more creepy narratives, both focusing on history and folklore from McMinnville.  

Carr is one of the key activists in Warren Arts, the community-based live theatre group that has staged scores of shows since its creation in 2017.  Sheri Denning, one of the principal founders, told the Rotarians and their guests the non-profit organization will continue its operations in transitional housing while it works toward a permanent, and larger, performance and operational space.  Their present venue on Highway 55 in the Smartt Community is up for sale.

“Our weekly programs are usually focused on substantive and timely issues, matters of public policy and social concerns,” Noon Rotary president Michael Barnes said.  “But sometimes we just have fun, and that’s what we do on the Thursday before Halloween.  These storytelling events have proven quite popular over the past several years, and we appreciate Warren Arts and Brian Carr for this entertaining performance today.”

Public radio listeners can join in the excitement as WCPI 91.3 broadcasts the Noon Rotary storytelling over the next three days.

The 20-minute program will air today (Sunday) at 1 pm and 4 pm on McMinnville Public Radio 91.3, with repeated broadcasts at the same hours tomorrow and Tuesday.