About This Show

Lip Service is an evening of bold words and brilliant voices, featuring Black authors and poets who are reshaping the literary landscape. As part of the HOT Festival, this event centers queer Black storytelling—from the intimate to the imaginative, the grounded to the Afrofuturist.

Justin Allen works in music and sound, performance, visual art, and writing. He has been commissioned by The Chocolate Factory Theater, The Shed, and ISSUE Project Room and received support from Franklin Furnace, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and the Jerome Foundation. He received his BA in literary studies from Eugene Lang College at The New School and his MFA in sculpture from Yale School of Art. In 2022 he released a four-song EP, Ekphrastic Punk, with his band Black Boots. In 2024, he released his first book, Language Arts, published by Wendy’s Subway.

 Janelle / jei, is an storyteller artist who explores the complex layers of our lives, intricately blending music, soundscaping, dialogue, poetry, conversation, body movement, and more to illuminate the unique, special, and shared aspects of our experiences. Their work has graced venues such as The Kennedy Center, Legoland New York, Joe’s Pub, Seattle Public Theater, and the Lincoln Center. However, these accomplishments are just a fraction of their artistic journey.
Storytelling has always been at the heart of jei’s life. They have a passion for crafting stories, exploring human connections, and uncovering the ways we grow together. Through their art, jei invites you to see the world through a different lens, celebrating the beauty and complexity of our shared humanity.