Drumming with Anubis

by David Templeton

This raucous supernatural comedy about a group of myth-obsessed, heavy metal fans on a drum circle retreat in the desert starts off with a bang (literally) and quickly segues into a brutally funny satire. Following the death of their founder, a legendary DethDog drummer named Joshua Tree, the members of the Friends of Anubis Neo-Heathen Male Bonding and Drumming Society gather for one last weekend of chanting...

This raucous supernatural comedy about a group of myth-obsessed, heavy metal fans on a drum circle retreat in the desert starts off with a bang (literally) and quickly segues into a brutally funny satire. Following the death of their founder, a legendary DethDog drummer named Joshua Tree, the members of the Friends of Anubis Neo-Heathen Male Bonding and Drumming Society gather for one last weekend of chanting, smoking, drinking and drumming, along with a few metal-inspired "rituals." When a clueless new member proves to be more than he seems, a series of life-altering surprises - including at least one other unexpected guest - begin to unfold. Before it's over, the group will face a long night of the soul (hotdogs optional). This award-winning two-act is both a skewering of toxic masculinity and false bravado, and a sneaky dissection of what makes a certain kind of man squirm, with a strong female character written to challenge the notion of a supporting performance by basically taking over the show (effectively upstaging an actual Egyptian god) half-way through.

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Drumming with Anubis

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Left Edge Theatre, Year 2017
  • Type Reading, Organization San Francisco Olympians Festival, Year 2016

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Left Edge Theatre, Santa Rosa, CA, Year 2019
  • Type Professional, Organization Ted Wold Productions, Zoom-based production, NYC, Year 2020

Awards

  • Outstanding World Premiere Play
    Theatre Bay Area
    Finalist
    2019
  • Outstanding Production of a Play
    Theatre Bay Area
    Finalist
    2019
  • Performance in a Principle Role (Chris Schloemp)
    Theatre Bay Area
    Finalist
    2019
  • Outstanding Original Script
    San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics' Circle Awards
    Finalist
    2019
  • Best Lighting Design (April George)
    San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Association
    Finalist
    2019
  • Best Production North Bay
    San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Association
    Finalist
    2019
  • Best Production Bay Area
    San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Association
    Finalist
    2019
  • Best Original Script
    San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Association
    Finalist
    2019
  • Best Ensemble (Chris Schloemp, Ivy Rose Miller, Nick Sholley, Anthony Martinez, Richard Pallozial, Mark Bradbury)
    San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Association
    Winner
    2019