Process

As the two homosexual members of Watchface, Chazz Dean and Kurt Fulton created
Sodomite Warriors to illustrate their view of contemporary gay culture and its tenuous relationship
to the straight society it dwelt within. They wanted various moods and emotions to be depicted
within the piece, from compassion and fear to camp and black humor – and ultimately hope.
Chazz created the outline and designated the themes of the seven sections that made up the
performance.

Each part began with a projection, in the style of a vaudeville placard that covered the back
wall of the stage, announcing the title of that section. The only other set pieces were two sturdy
white chairs, borrowed from Kurt’s living room.

Sodomite Warriors combined sections employing many of the usual Watchface techniques with
sections that were theatrically staged and traditionally written.

The Dance of the Sodomite Warrior

As the first section of the performance, the desire was to start with a loud, bold declaration of
”We’re here, we’re queer.” In silence and in silhouette, the men began with a brief section of the
Jack Cole choreography for Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,
purposefully feminine and quiet. “Faggots!” was yelled from offstage. The lights went up and
with a commanding shout of “Warriors are go!” the warrior dance began.

The first element created for the dance was the soundtrack. Chazz and Kurt collected popular
music from their own LP’s and cassette tapes that they felt was associated with gay culture,
including opera, disco, British pop, musical theater, and others. With the exception of the start
and finish, the musical collage consisted of short sequences of the chosen music connected
randomly. The beginning and ending of the dance were from Madonna’s “Express Yourself.”
Some of the other artists used were Donna Summer, The Smiths, Cyndi Lauper, Frankie Goes To
Hollywood, and Maria Callas. The compilation was done during an evening at Iris Rose and
James Siena’s home, which had the necessary recording equipment, while Chazz and Kurt were
babysitting their baby, Joe.

Wordless Emblems for this section were then created from a list of gay occupation and lifestyle
stereotypes, including Hairdresser, Interior Designer, Ice Skater, Leather Daddy, Gym Bunny, and
Club Kid, as well as personalities like Liberace and Paul Lynde. Iconic images of masculinity
were also used as inspiration, such as Cowboy, Soldier, and Athlete. These movements placed
end to end, again in a random order, became the choreography. The preceding Jack Cole
sequence was set by watching a tape of the “Two Little Girls from Little Rock” number from the
movie over and over and imitating it precisely until the moves had been memorized. That
sequence also ended the dance, but interpreted in a much more powerful manner.

Lies the Doctor Told My Mother

Various perceptions of why little boys become gay men were revealed through twisted fables
and fairy tales narrated live by Chazz and Kurt in this section. The text was layered upon
movement that came from Emblems, Abstractions and Bodies in Space based on the stories and
their subtext. As an example, the first story supposes that the absence of the father and an
attachment to the mother creates a gay son:

Kurt:
Once there was a beautiful little boy and his mommy and his daddy loved him so,
especially his mommy.

Chazz and Kurt:
She loved his golden locks and his long eyelashes and hugged him and
kissed him all day long.

Chazz:
Which left very little time for the little boy to be with his daddy who he loved even
more than his mommy.

Chazz and Kurt:
So when the beautiful boy grew up, of course he grew up to be just like
mommy, trying to find a man just like daddy.

Teenage Forbidden Fruit

Chazz and Kurt wrote a series of brief anecdotes about their first same sex attractions and
experiences that reflected feelings of being different and unnatural. Between interludes of bad
teenage boy behavior and frantic dancing, they alternated recounting one of their stories. At the
same time one was speaking, the other enacted Emblems based on elements of the story he
had just told or was about to tell.

Ultra Gothic Romance

The introduction of this all-movement section was based on a Bodies in Space inspired by the
dreams and ideals of first love, unrequited affections, and heartbreak. An overly dramatic
romance was choreographed with grand glances and gestures. The tragic ending that is the
fate of all gothic romances was based on movements from another series of Bodies in Space
exercises.

The Marriage of Figaro to Figaro

With text and lyrics written by Chazz and performed to the overture of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, the men portrayed a couple trying unsuccessfully to simulate a heterosexual marriage. The relationship started off with these compromised wedding vows:

Kurt:
No vows to unite us, no ring to entwine us.

Chazz:
No ceremony to enshrine us, no gifts to remind us.

Kurt:
Roommates in the eyes of the law, a branch on the family tree that bears no fruit.

Chazz:
No tradition to mark this anniversary, and no law to bind us.

Chazz and Kurt:
Just the promise of everlasting devotion and countless dinner partners – er, parties!
Till death us do part.
complete The Marriage of Figaro to Figaro script

A series of poses were then reenacted from found photos of happy straight couples depicted in
print ads and editorials. Theatrically staged in the opera buffa style, the scene showed a union
that could not stand up to the straight ideal and deteriorated comically. The couple
metaphorically sang their hearts out as their relationship ended with a grand balletic bow.

Warzone

For this combative section, Chazz and Kurt compiled a list of homophobic comments, slurs and
attacks. The order started with the most innocent and subtle and escalated to the most
degrading and hateful. Each remark was paired with a physical response. “My parents are
here, so don’t act too gay” provoked a flinch, “Throw the ball, sissy!” a punch to the stomach,
escalating to a vicious gay bashing of ugly slurs – “Suck my cock, you motherfucking faggot!” –
and violent reactions. Warzone script Beaten, the two men ended up on the stage floor. Suddenly
they got up and began an aggressive rant confronting the audience with their own hypocrisy
and complicity in the ostracism of gay people. This subsection was named “Preacher Man.”

Our Town

Chazz wrote the poetic text that provided the narration that was spoken over this final section.
Our Town script The movement came from several Bodies in Space sessions while listening to a
recording of the text. The movements that were considered the best in representing the mood
and meaning of the text were chosen and organized into a set sequence that became the final
choreography. Integrated into the final moments were, once again, the last of the movements
from the opening “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” step sequence, this time performed in a smooth
and euphoric manner. handwritten Our Town script