Lip-Service was an experimental theatrical performance of poetry built, written and performed by Dom Witten and Mitchel Dipzinski held during the Ypsilanti Pride festival in 2018 at the YESpace. The performance was born from a poem by Mitchel Dipzinski and would later transform into talking about the intersection of race, religion and sexuality. Though Mitchel and Dom both grew up in the christian church and would later depart, they both came to the table with very different experiences. Dom spoke about her family's relationship with alcoholism and God. Mitchel spoke about his journey of coming out and his family's relationship with God. Together, they both attempted to figure out where they could fit into religion. 

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With mixed emotions in hand, Dom and Mitchel went to work turning the YESpace into a storefront church with Bible verses hand painted on canvas hung from the ceiling. A confessional was built in the back corner of the church and of course a podium was set in the front for the Word to be preached. Dom made a cross with broken alcohol bottles and  Mitchel made a cross with LGBTQ slurs spray painted in red.

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Dom and Mitchel each took a turn to confess. Dom at the podium to talk about her grandparents' battle with alcoholism. Mitchel in the confessional booth to "come out" to a priest played by Dom. At the end, they performed a piece together asking the audience to read along as Dom and Mitchel interrupted The Lord's Prayer with their original poems. Dom read Mitchel's words and Mitchel read Dom's words. They performed this five act theatre piece three times that night with a talk back after each performance.

 

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Unfortunately there are no videos from this performance, only a few pictures of the set remain.