video

Battle hymn

Lawson, Stephen, performer creator, Pollard, Aaron, videographer, 2boys.tv, creator
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2333.1/0000067x
Title
Battle hymn
Author/Creator
Lawson, Stephen, performer creator, Pollard, Aaron, videographer, 2boys.tv, creator
Restrictions/Permissions
Language
In English.
Date
February 1, 2002
Filming or performance location
Recorded at Kiss My Cabaret at La Sala Rossa, Montréal, Québec. Canada.
Format
streaming video (11 min., 31 sec.) : sound, color
Credits
Performer: Stephen Lawson. Video: Aaron Pollard. Sound: 2boys.tv. Text: Stephen Lawson. Song: Batlle Hymn of the Republic.
Notes

Battle Hymn (2002) begins with a monologue expanding on themes of queer desire and normative straight time, transitioning into a lip synch performance of Judy Garland singing the infamous Civil War era march, "Battle Hymn of the Republic." To the sounds of "Glory, glory, Hallelujah / Our God is marching on," super-8 footage of early 90's Montreal gay pride parades are projected onto the screen behind a passionate, boa-clad Gigi L'Amour

2boys.tv is a transdisciplinary duo from Montreal composed of Stephen Lawson and Aaron Pollard (also notoriously known in some circles as alter egos Gigi L'Amour and Pipi Douleur). Emerging in 2001 from Montreal's wildly eclectic cabaret scene, 2boys.tv has since toured their wide repertoire of epic multimedia cabaret works and taught multidisciplinary creations internationally in museums, galleries, theatres, artist-run centres, universities, and festivals. Political expression rolled into subversive and amusing forms is key to their practice as they search for ways to infuse their compositions with passion and the shameless desire for the emancipation of the powerless and displaced within and among us.