Photo by Bhama Roget

We’re feeling such tremendous gratitude for everyone that helped make JumpstART! a smashing success! Creating free, public art feels like a critically important thing to do right now – for those of us who are dedicated to work as artists, those who help put it all together  as producers, and those who have the vision to create the funding opportunities in the first place.

EnJoy brought together over 100 local artists, ages 11 to 75, across cultural/racial/social demographics, to create a wildly enjoyable, entertaining and experimental four days of free live performance throughout downtown.

Hats off to the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture for creating Hope Corps, which is funding scores of projects (called Activations) large and small across Seattle. It’s a tremendous vision for uplifting the city and celebrating both Seattle’s vibrancy, and the local Creative Economy. All of the support we received from Hope Corps went to hiring and paying artists and production team. We are massively grateful to King County’s 4Culture for the first of 3 years of Sustained Support – funding which is allowing us to dedicate several months to preparing for and producing this amazing 4 day extravaganza,

The experiment started on Day 1 with Earth Soccer Jeopardy on Pier 62. A 4 ft soccer ball on a miniature field, teams of energetic high school players, and audience interaction (they were the ones who played Jeopardy, whenever a team scored!). Crowds marveled, laughed and seriously got into the action. Anticipating FIFA next year, creating an interactive public game, and celebrating environmental awareness (there were some smart 12 year olds answering some tough questions!), it was a great first iteration of a happening that could really have legs, as they say.

Day 2 was Dance day, and Occidental Park in Pioneer Square saw an incredible diversity of performance amidst a bustling Thursday night Art Walk thanks in part to our DSA Space partners. Hundreds of people all day long - coming and going and staying and coming back – marveled at everything from a 22min immersive Romeo and Juliet by PNB’s Lucien Postlewaite (Pictured) and Clara Ruf Maldonado, to Hip Hop maestra Tracey Wong, to the Big Band swing dance lessons for an eager and wide-eyed public by Joy Street Orchestra. It all felt so alive and just plain fun! 

On Day 3 we set up, with the help of Luke Kehrwald and Performance Sound, a remarkable afternoon of music. Pre-teen grunge rockers, followed by classical strings, a European Opera diva and the incredible Filthy FemCorps – a female, non-binary and trans marching band. I mean, come ON!! Tons of Seattle visitors sat at the amazing Harbor Steps (SUCH a great partner!) and swayed, bopped, danced and smiled at the most eclectic combination of fabulous musicians we could assemble. And it came off beautifully!! Thank you to Seattle Drum School for showing up in such a big way!

Our final day was all about circus, and featured student groups, emerging and established companies from Seattle and beyond. The School of New Circus Arts was there in force with their youth companies, followed by Vivian Tam’s Chrysalis Circus, and then Terry Crane and Acrobatic Conundrum wowed the crowd. And finally (after persevering through their crane truck breaking down in Everett while en route to the event!), the remarkable Up! Up! Up! from Bellingham showed up and blew the crowd away with humor, tremendous skill and pizazz.

Martha is catching her breath, having produced this whole shebang, and is feeling both relieved and gratified by a hugely rewarding process. Kevin supported with innumerable production details, the kinds you think about in advance, and the other kind too! Team EnJoy was blessed once again by the presence of Stage Manager Extraordinaire Susanna Pugh, who, as she always does, makes the whacky complex madhouse look smooth and impressively professional. 

What a way to put a button on Summer 2025. Thank you to all who came out to see the shows or supported from a distance. This is good work, we’re all in it together, and we’ll continue to thrive amidst strange and challenging times by gathering in community and celebrating our collective creativity and joy. 

In many ways, my artistic life began in choral music. I know — who’d have thought?

As a kid in Northfield, Minnesota, I dabbled in community theater between the ages of five and eight, but my first truly transformative experience on stage came in fifth grade, when I joined the venerable Northfield Boys Chorus. Suddenly I was touring the country by bus, singing on TV, and performing in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. — heady stuff for a kid, but more than that, it locked me in. It bound me to a kind of art-making grounded in discipline, deep attention, and that elusive magic only a well-directed choir can conjure: blending individual voices into one living, breathing sound.

I never let go of that. I kept singing in every choir I could find, inside and outside of school, all the way through college. The most life-shaping chapter came during my junior year abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain. There, I spent a year singing with the Coro Universitario (50 voices) and co-founded the Coro de Cámara — a 20-voice chamber choir that became my second family. By chance, that year — 1985 — marked the 35th anniversary of the University Choir. Hundreds of alumni returned to that golden, 13th-century city to sing concerts, celebrate, share stories, and, in true Spanish fashion, dance and laugh into the early hours.

All that year, we toured Spain and Europe. I sang solos. It was mind-opening, soul-filling, life-defining — an experience that, looking back, set me firmly on the artistic path I’m still on today. The art was so powerful, so undeniable, that I knew: I want this.

And, of course, I wanted Martha.

Those two threads pulled me to Massachusetts a few years later, where we joined the company that would become UMO and began our real work as artists.

I started writing songs then. I found another community choir. I wrote vocal music for UMO, and for a decade, we worked hard — and beautifully — to sing as one ensemble, “6-as-1,” as we liked to say. Now, decades later, I have a catalog of 80+ original songs that I’m digitizing for the future, and I’m directing a small choir here on Vashon. Until this year, I hadn’t really seen that line — from boy soprano to ensemble clown to songwriter and choir director — so clearly.

Which brings me to why I’m telling you this: last week, I returned to Salamanca for the 40th anniversary of the Coro de Cámara I helped found, and the 75th anniversary of the Coro Universitario.

I can’t fully capture in words the depth of that return — I’m trying, in poems, recordings, new arrangements, new connections, and the seeds of future projects that might keep alive this life-changing bond with Spain. More specifically, with Salamanca, and with that particular band of singers — friends who remind me what lives well-lived can look like.

One moment sums it up: the final event of the reunion gathered 300 singers — current members and alumni — in a 15th-century chapel. Together, we sang pieces old and new, closing with a rousing version of Gaudeamus Igitur, a 13th-century hymn to the wild, joyful spirit of university life, set to music in the 18th century and sung ever since at graduations and ceremonies across Europe. The song praises learning, tradition, professors, students, country, and culture — in gorgeous four-part harmony. As we rose to our feet, students and elders alike, voices lifted as one, the air shimmered with reverence, laughter, and tears.

Afterwards, I tried — fifteen times — to explain to friends what that moment felt like, and not once could I do it without crying. I kept saying: “Back home, in this moment, what little culture we have is under siege. And here, this feels so… foreign. So gloriously patriotic in the best sense. It makes me feel so profoundly sad for what we’re losing — and so uplifted for what we could still be.”

The power of art, of collective creation, of voices joined in beauty and purpose — this is what we are capable of. This is what, now more than ever, we must keep alive.

The meaning I feel in this work has never been stronger. Thank you for being here with us, for caring, for staying in the work of making beauty together.

A Concert in the 15th century Hall of University Ceremonies, when the choir was awarded the Seal of the University - the third oldest in all of Europe.

Kevin with Bernardo Garcia Bernalt, who has directed the choir for 40 years without missing one rehearsal. His final concert was in June, 2025.

Learn all about our free public art festival with EnJoy Founders!

Experience Free Live Music, Dance, and Circus at Seattle’s JumpstART Festival

Hello friends,

Kevin and Martha here, co-founders of EnJoy Productions, with a special invitation:

This summer, downtown Seattle becomes a living, breathing stage with JumpstART. It’s  a brand-new, free-to-the-public street arts festival running August 6–10 in four different locations with 4 different themes. You’ll experience dance, music, circus, and a one-of-a-kind interactive game that puts YOU at the center of the action!

We’re thrilled to announce that, thanks to major support from the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture (Hope Corps) and 4Culture, all 80+ artists we’re hiring are fully paid, and the producers’ administrative costs are covered.

But now, we need your help.

To bring this ambitious festival to life we still need to raise $20,000 for essential production costs like:

• Sound systems

• Security and safety teams

• Staging and infrastructure

• Restrooms and crowd support

Will you be part of this joyful, radically accessible public art experience?
Every dollar brings us closer to a vibrant, connected downtown filled with creativity and community.

Donate now

We can't wait see you on the streets this summer!

With joy and gratitude,
Kevin & Martha
EnJoy Productions

Venus (Caela Bailey) narrates the tale of Cupid & Psyche with her all-female band, The Vixens. Photo by Michelle Bates.

Next Steps for Venus by Martha Enson

Last year the mission was so clear. Make the show. Raise the money. Book the house. Sell the tickets. And boy did we do it! Venus and the Vixens: Games of Love was a sell-out hit for three weeks last June at Emerald City Trapeze Arts. The show took shape. People came and played and engaged with each other. I learned as a writer and director that we had, in fact, not made a piece of Musical Theater, but rather a piece of Immersive Theater. We had the most kick-ass cast and band. Have I raved enough??

And then we recovered. And it has taken most of a year to set the ship a’right. We had to contend with some accidents (but Kevin is healed up from ebike debacle!) and some staff changes (Mick is on to his own hilarious path with Clown Garage) but what now, dear Venus?

Some conventional wisdom says – remount the show, only bigger with better advertising and more production values! Great idea, but who is going to do all that again, one year later and just recovering from round 1? So, another approach is needed. 

Right now we are looking into university settings where we develop the production on student actors and musicians and workshop the creative at the same time. That seems like a great idea.
We are also looking into a short run of a more concert style performance (remember the Rabbit Box version in Feb of 2023?) at a local venue better equipped to handle the production values of the show and offer a full bar to the guests.

So here is our ask to YOU, our collaborating fans: Do you have contacts at any universities who bring in artists to work with their undergrad or graduate programs? We are actively seeking residencies and would love to hear from you if you have contacts at an Alma Mater or with anyone at the university level.

Until then, stay tuned. We have not abandoned Olympus. Just regrouping for another go at love.

A highlight reel from the 2024 productions of Venus & the Vixens featuring audience feedback on the games, and the experience.

Episode 3 of Coffee with Kevin - an ongoing series about artistic maintenance and leadership from EnJoy’s founder.

Countering Overwhelm with Clarity: Finding Your Path Forward (Without Losing Your Mind)

I wake up with that delightful pressure-cooker feeling in my chest—the crushing obligation to "GSD" (get sh*t done) in too many directions, with lists that breed sublists like rabbits on fertility drugs.

Let's state the obvious: we're drowning in information that has multiplied like a virus over the last two decades. Not remotely coincidental that this explosion syncs perfectly with smartphones glued to our palms and Moore's Law doing its exponential thing (look it up—it's wild and slightly terrifying). 

We're caught in the perfect storm of professional demands, the addictive ego-stroking of checking boxes, and our panicked reaction to (I’m gesturing broadly) everything happening in this blistering dystopia. The result? A seemingly endless parade of "deliverables" marching across our consciousness.

Lately, that's felt less like productivity and more like slow-motion suffocation.

My lightbulb moment of clarity arrived yesterday—while I was dramatically collapsed on the floor contemplating debauchery. It came from my grad school days (Masters in Organizational Leadership, puff puff goes my ego!). The mental model was deceptively simple: "Find the overlap of what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs." I added "and what will pay me" because, you know, capitalism doesn't accept payment in good intentions.

Once I pushed aside my fantasies of throwing it all away for a life of hedonism, I realized those first three elements (love, skill, global need) were already playing a harmonious trio in two creative projects I'd been developing. Despite my excitement, they'd been languishing in the wasteland of "I'll get to it when I finish these seventeen urgent-but-actually-not-important tasks."

But focusing on the potent overlap of these three imperatives was like mainlining motivation. Suddenly, I could see that what I was creating was right, good, and coherent. That realization is a belief worth tattooing on your forearm (or at least repeating like a mantra while breathing into a paper bag). When I added "what will pay me," these projects got strapped to rocket boosters—because like it or not, money validates work and keeps the lights on.

From this grounding, two virtues emerged like phoenixes from my pile of abandoned to-do lists: courage and connection. Courage is required to battle the beast that is Imposter Syndrome. It slithers in, no matter how crystal clear your clarity. It is connecting with others who lift you up. THAT is how vision transforms into reality. 

The connection is saying YES to my strength and reaching out to others. THAT is how I (and we) can make vision happen. THAT is resistance to a sense of futility, to overwhelm, to powerlessness. That's how we fight the good fight while keeping our sanity (mostly) intact.

We can’t take full credit for this concept, it’s in the Zeitgeist!

EnJoy Founder Martha Enson as photographed by Ernie Saprio

This is turning out to be a difficult concept to put into words!

If we are lucky life is long and we get to have many phases of self.

Our earliest selves form deep - like roots -  and stay with us our whole lives coloring everything we do, think and feel. Then comes a stage of uncertainty, curiosity, exploration and self discovery. After that, most people land on some kind of definition whether that is their profession or who they live with or some other ordering of life. Of course many of us shift this over time. This shifting is what I am interested in here.

For those of us with a life based on physical skill, such as acrobats, dancers or athletes,  the transition from self definition through skill to the ending of that phase can be really tricky.

“What do you do for a living?” someone asks.

 I pause. 

I used to say I did physical theater, or aerial arts, as well as being a creative director. Now I ask myself “is that true?”. I can still climb, swing, pull and twist, but I’m not doing that professionally these days, and at some point I can imagine I won’t be doing it at all.

Addressing this loss is not just economic as most retirements are. For me it is certainly not a lack of interest.  It’s not just egotistical – although that is surely a part of it. It’s about identity. That is the hard part.

I don’t mean to be melodramatic. I think being an older female performer who identifies as an acrobat and letting that self image change feels like being put out in the woodshed to mold. it feel like the age old Mary split – Mary Magdalene, the young, the beautiful, the sexual and the forbidden VS. Mary Mother of God – the virginal, the mother, the pure, and the compassionate. And yes, lets admit it, by comparison maybe a tiny bit stodgy? I hope I have not offended you but this seems like a good metaphor to me.

For a theater person steeped in alt theater and the physical arts, a producer of Burlesque and a creator of original theater, the former Mary has always been the hands down winner of my heart. But this transition into elderhood feels like I am being stepped out of my Magdalene power, and all I want to shout is HELL NO!

Alternatively there is something uncomfortable about a woman who does not wear her wisdom well, and who refuses to enter into her third phase beauty. I just think culturally we need to be modeling better vitality, seduction, entrancement and magic. These things dont just change, they evolve.

And don’t get me wrong. Letting go of a physical art form can happen much younger depending on your skill level – ballet dancers can end their careers in their twenties. And it is also a fact of life for men, although there seems to be an easier transition in our culture for men. Tell me if I’m wrong.

So this is a commitment on my part to model curiosity in this change. To become more present and more in touch with my humor and my compassion without losing my flexibility and my splits!

I am very curious about other people's journeys with this process. What are the strengths that you are finding when you let go of one self-storying and embrace a new one, or swim around in the soup looking for next steps? Please let me know your stories.

Wherever you are in the process I wish you good explorations and courage.

Take an energizing sip of these big ideas with Kevin Joyce - and read on!

Sheesh, what a time. In the fury and flurry of nefariousness that is our current political landscape, we’re feeling the imperative to do the work of being artists. Creativity, in all its messiness and curveball transgressions of normalcy, has never been more vitally important. 

Among many more, here are five compelling reasons why:

1. Counteracting Alienation and Loneliness with Shared Experience. 

In an era of increasing digital isolation – about to go into hyperdrive thanks to AI - live performance creates rare moments of collective presence, where we gather in a shared space to feel, respond, and connect. In person theater, music, and dance provide a cure to what ails us - via community, empathy, and a sense of belonging in a crazily disconnected world. Read more here about how the arts combat loneliness

Martha Enson activating an outdoor space at an event.

2. Reviving Civic and Cultural Spaces. 

The pandemic did a number on the business of live performance. Arts venues suffered devastating losses, leading to declining attendance, financial instability, and way too many closures. Now, as audiences tentatively return, investing in the arts is crucial for revitalizing local economies. 

HUGE SHOUT OUT to King County’s 4Culture and Seattle’s Hope Corps for committing to this work. EnJoy is grateful beyond words for Sustained Support from 4Culture (enabling us to spend time creating free art for the public), and for funding from Hope Corps (enabling us to pay artists!) 

Learn More about the Hope Corps Grant here. 

 3. Restoring Awe, Beauty, and Optimism in Public Life. The work of performing artists is, in part, to provide an antidote to cynicism and despair by offering moments of transcendence. And no, that’s NOT too grandiose! 

Research shows that experiencing awe—whether through music, storytelling, or movement—expands our sense of time, reduces self-focus, and fosters generosity. Look it up! There’s tons of research on this. At a time when anxiety, burnout, and social distrust are at record highs, the arts help reawaken our capacity for wonder, joy, and hope. 

Learn more about the link between a flow state, happiness and creativity, here (from the guy who literally wrote the book!).

4. Bucking Fear and Division. From politics to media, society is bombarded with messages that reinforce division, distrust, and fear. The performing arts have the power to counteract these forces by telling humanizing stories, creating spaces for difficult conversations, and inspiring audiences to see beyond ideological divides. 

Oh, and  laughing and crying – with others - both help in managing fear. Unlike algorithm-driven content bubbles, live performance connects us, IRL, as they say. 

Read more about how art brings people together here 

5. Disrupting the Status Quo and Sparking Cultural Evolution. Throughout history, the arts have been a disruptive force, challenging dominant narratives, exposing injustice, and pushing society forward. Whether through satire, protest theater, or boundary-pushing experimental work, performance remains a critical tool for questioning norms and reshaping public opinion.

 In an age of rapid technological and social change, we are committed to working in the arts - to provoke, unsettle, and expand the way we see the world. 

Learn more about art in the age of facism here: here 

Kevin Joyce (writer) and Martha Enson as their characters “The Buffoons”

Creativity and the imagination are not luxuries, they are basic human endowments. But like muscles, they atrophy when not used. The arts are no for the privileged few, nor are they the domain of the “creatives”, whatever that means. 

The arts are a civic necessity. They remind us of who we are by grounding us in our growing, changing, becoming selves. The arts, writ large, help us lay claim to our individual lives and bring us together – inspiring us to imagine what’s possible. Now more than ever, we need them.

We know that creativity isn’t just for the young - it deepens, shifts, and takes on new meaning as we move through life. What role has the arts played in your journey? Have you found your creative practice changing over time? We’d love to hear your stories. Reply in the comments or email us—we read every response!

EnJoy Founders Kevin Joyce and Martha Enson on their wedding day, in 2014 and a few years back at their 40th wedding anniversary party.

Love, laughter, and work/life balance

At EnJoy Productions, partnership is at the heart of everything we do. And for us - husband and wife duo Martha Enson and Kevin Joyce - that partnership extends far beyond the stage, the boardroom, or the rehearsal hall. It’s in the little things: the shared creative sparks, the inside jokes that still make us laugh, and the endless quirks that somehow, miraculously, balance each other out.

After 40+ years of marriage, we’ve learned that love isn’t just about romance—it’s about resilience, humor, and knowing when to step in (or step back). It’s about building a life together that’s full of art, adventure, and the occasional battle over a stubbornly squished dish towel.

So, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we offer you this window into what being partners looks like at our house. It’s a love letter to a lifetime of shared chaos, creativity, and commitment.

Take a peek, and maybe you’ll see a little bit of your own love story in ours.

EnJoy founder Kevin Joyce on dog duty.

A Love Poem

or

"What being partners looks like in our house"

by Martha Enson

I think I should start this out with a list poem, which is pretty much what it sounds like.
It would be:

1. We met in Maine when we were 18 & 19 at a party called “The Summer of Love”

2. We have a similar default speed – FAST. Likely the result of workaholic parents (all 4) and generalized terror. We’ve learned to make it work for us sometimes.

3. We have had 5 dogs and one child together. Don’t know what that says.

4. We live together, work together, we often run together, we love to cook together, we watch things together and create things together. 

We still think things are funny together.

5. There are some things that Kevin does that make me crazy

He never washes the silverware – like it’s invisible

He loses everything. No, really. Everything.

He squishes the dish towel into the stove door so tightly that you CAN’T get it out

6. Here’s what’s great - since I’m writing this, he can’t actually tell you all the things that I do which make him crazy (like how I lick envelopes, or heel stamp when I’m mad, or how I can always find everything. No, really!)

7. We have lived together since college (minus the years we were in Europe with other people) and we moved to Vashon in 1989 and never left. What’s great about that is that the people we moved here with also never left so we have the most extraordinary community here. I say that because I’m pretty sure that’s one of the reasons we are still together.

8. We have created a business together which has thrived and grown and changed, and in between we have continued to make music and theater and community, and to teach and write.

9. Undoubtedly our best move has been having a child together, because not only is she an extraordinary human, but wow...If you really want to see what you are made of – have a kid! Of course, there are lots of other tests like sailing around the world together, climbing Mt Everest, or running for a political office. You do you!

10. Someone told me recently that the idea that a monkey would eventually type Hamlet is a crock, but I would say that the odds of 2 people as driven, available, neurotic, optimistic, creative and absurd as we are actually finding each other and having the stamina, teachers, support, patience, humor, therapists, serendipity and luck to stick it out in a creative mode for over 40 years has got to be as rare as the monkey/Hamlet thing.

11. While I am writing this Kevin is on the phone with T-mobile trying to figure out why our internet is not working...again. He’s been at it (muttering and sighing) for over 90 minutes. There are many reasons to love this man. I think I’ll stick it out.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

What does love look like in your world? If you feel inspired, comment with your own “list poem to love” - whether it’s about a partner, a friend, a family member, or even a beloved pet. Just hit reply to this email and share your words with us. We can’t wait to read them!

Wishing you all love, laughter, and just the right amount of quirkiness this Valentine’s season.

Martha & Kevin

EnJoy Founders with their daughter.

We loving hiring talented performers to activate our events! Pictured: Lou Mangione, Alex Zerbe, and Martha!

As we step eyes-wide-open into 2025, it’s impossible to ignore the challenges of our times—but art-making has never felt more vital. We are energized by the support for free public art and thrilled to announce EnJoy’s major contributions to downtown Seattle’s revitalization this summer. With creativity and imagination at the forefront, we’ll be producing dynamic “activations” as part of a citywide effort to reawaken our shared spaces with vibrant energy.

This fall’s grant and proposal-writing efforts bore incredible fruit: EnJoy received two prestigious awards! Thanks to Hope Corps, through the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Mayor Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan, we’ll present a series of diverse performances across downtown Seattle in August, 2025. This bold vision includes dance, music, circus, and games, celebrating the city’s talent and engaging audiences with a kaleidoscope of cultures and art forms.

Crucially, this support enables us to pay scores of local artists, offering them invaluable opportunities to share their work while fostering connection and joy among Seattle’s communities. Like last year’s acclaimed world premiere of Venus & The Vixens: Games of Love, this project is powered by our fiscal sponsor, Shunpike, which allows us to fundraise and secure grants for our community-focused initiatives.

We’re also thrilled to announce that EnJoy has been awarded a Sustained Support grant from 4Culture, with an exciting boost this year thanks to the Doors Open legislation! This vital funding will help cover production and planning costs for our free public art activations, ensuring our work continues to address critical issues like engagement, isolation, and a hopeful vision for the future of our city.

After 35 years of creating art and performance in Seattle, we consider ourselves wildly lucky to be part of an extraordinary community of artists, organizations, ensembles, and troupes. From Martha’s groundbreaking production of the nation’s first Fringe Theater Festival in 1992 to our work as Co-Founders of UMO Ensemble, performers, directors and producers with Teatro Zinzanni, 20 years of performances with Moisture Festival, and hundreds of corporate and nonprofit clients, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with artists across every imaginable genre.

This region is immensely blessed with talented and dedicated artists, and this year, we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to channel creativity into action, building a brighter, more connected Seattle for all. Let’s make 2025 unforgettable! In a good way!!

EnJoy Production founders Kevin Joyce and Martha Enson, 2024

We’re trying something new for 2025! Through March we’ll be sharing monthly, in-depth descriptions on our current work and deeper (even philosophical!) thoughts with you. Think of this as an invitation into our creative minds—and we’d love to hear from you as we explore new directions! Please leave a comment on this post and let us know what resonates.

At EnJoy, we balance five sectors: fundraising with non-profits, producing entertainment for corporate events, communications training, executive meeting facilitation, and, of course, art-making. This year, all five domains will be in full swing, and we can’t wait to share the journey with you.

From a new workshop by Martha (more below!) to Kevin’s innovative work countering Artificial Intelligence with human connection, we’re charging into the new year with big ideas and bold action.

Martha Enson teaching a workshop

Martha’s Upcoming Workshops: Let’s Play!

For me, one of the greatest joys of performance is improvising in character while interacting with the public. It’s unpredictable, hilarious, and completely immersive—FUN in its purest form!

Over the years, EnJoy has relied on this skill to enhance our events. Each theme inspires characters, and once the character is chosen, finding a way to incorporate the guests into the character's task or activity is completely creative and often hilarious. Skilled character animation is part performance, part social mixer, and part glue holding everything together.

To grow this unique talent pool of skilled character animators, I’m offering a free Character Animation Workshop on Monday evenings—February 10th, 17th and 24th—from 6-9 PM at Emerald City Trapeze Arts (Yes, you saw Venus & the Vixens at this incredible space!). This workshop is open to all but prioritizes BIPOC performers, as we strive to expand opportunities and diversity in our community. If you know of a performer friend who might benefit, please share this blog post with them.

Here’s the deal: It’s free because I don’t want cost to be a barrier, but participants must commit to all three evenings. Space is limited, so don’t wait to register: Sign Up Here and email me at martha@en-joyproductions.com to secure your spot.

I promise it will be fun, challenging, and worth it. Let’s play together!

Kevin leads a training.

Kevin’s Thought Bubble: Countering AI with Human Connection

This January, I’ll once again join the annual Symposium for the Seattle Study Club, a network of dental practice clubs across the country. Over the last six years, I’ve visited 25 states to lead workshops on team-building and emotional intelligence. Invigorating and inspiring work to be sure. 

This work blends organizational psychology, theater training, and immersive experiences to help teams strengthen community, navigate conflict, and define meaning in their work. Putting together programs for business, healthcare and non-profits that exercise these very human muscles is among the most rewarding and unique aspects of EnJoy’s offerings. 

But as we move into 2025, there is new terrain on the horizon: countering the personal and systemic impact of technology on our lived experience – particularly AI, and its blisteringly fast advances into, well, everything. You’ll hear more about it in the coming months - both from us, and in your own domains of work and life, guaranteed.

For now, we’re in the development phase of a new curriculum of immersive experiences that are dedicated to retaining, and enhancing the critical human capacities that a) distinguish us from the machines we increasingly rely on; b) keep us thriving as emotionally alive, compassionate members of our communities, and c) will keep us from losing ourselves to the onslaught of Artificial Intelligence.

As we head into the new year, we’re excited to share more about these initiatives and hear from you along the way. Stay tuned to our blog for updates, reflections, and ways to get involved. And don’t forget to register for Martha’s workshop if it speaks to you!

Here’s to a year of joy, creativity, and connection.

Onward and upward,
Kevin & Martha

Founders Kevin Joyce and Martha Enson with Linda McVeigh at the the CDCHC Scholarship Foundation Fundraiser

Greetings, friends, colleagues, and fabulous co-conspirators! As we roll into the sparkly potential of 2025 we are reflecting on a year that’s been equal parts whirlwind, adventure, and triumph (with a dash of well-earned chaos thrown in). 2024 won’t fade into the back of our memories - it was 12 months of surprises, challenges, and moments of pure joy that left us both humbled and inspired.

From jaw-dropping premieres to broken bones (don’t worry, we’re back in action!), we’ve had a ride worth recounting. So, in the spirit of wrapping up this wild year, here’s a snapshot of what’s made us laugh, cry, and cheer over the last 365 days.

The Top Ten Things That Happened To/For Us in 2024!

1. The rockin’ world premiere of Venus & The Vixens (…and surviving it intact and happy!).

2. Incredible trips to Ireland and Belize with our daughter and friends.

3. Healing from Kevin’s nasty bike accident and Martha’s broken foot, returning to full function (woohoo!).

4. Celebrating and appreciating 5 years with our colleague Mick Holsbeke, who resigned his commission to do his own great work. Good luck, Mick!

5. Receiving affirming grants from Seattle Office of Arts and Culture and King County’s 4Culture, enabling free public art in 2025 (shoutout to our fiscal sponsor, Shunpike!).

6. Our gorgeous niece’s equally gorgeous wedding to her girlfriend in the Delaware Gap this August.

7. Raising over $35 million for 30 nonprofits, helping make a real impact for local and national causes.

8. Vicariously enjoying our daughter’s fabulous summer of internships, study, and adventure in Barcelona and Copenhagen.

9. Martha’s 19th huge Microsoft event and Kevin’s 60th communications training (yes, we’re counting both for #9—we’re excited!).

10. Spending New Year’s with Kevin’s vivacious 92-year-old mom and her awesome boyfriend, alongside 16 in-laws, outlaws, and kiddos.

As we move forward, we end the year sending out our blessings and immense gratitude to all the wonderful individuals and organizations who have been our partners, collaborating artists and producers, funders and supporters, clients and audiences during this amazing past year. We wish you all the very best for 2025!

Here’s to a 2025 filled with more connection, creativity, and collaboration. Onward and upward!

Warmly,
Kevin & Martha

Holy Crazy Chronology Batman, it’s December! Time flies whether you’re having fun or not - fortunately, we’ve been having plenty of it!

This year saw several landmarks in our work. Beyond the wild and wildly successful world premier of Martha’s Venus & The Vixens: Game of Love, this year marks our celebration of 20 years as EnJoy Productions! Oh my, how twists & turns (and various other aerial moves) have led us to such valuable and enriching relationships with literally hundreds of clients,  from the United Nations, The World Health Organization, the US Navy, to Microsoft, Amazon and hundreds of nonprofits. It has been a wild ride indeed.

We want to acknowledge our gratitude to our wonderful employee Mick Holsbeke who tendered his resignation in September, to move on to doing his own work. We wish him well! We are are delighted to welcome the fabulous and charming Opal Peachey into the EnJoy fold as our Social Media and Marketing Director. Yay!!

And, as 2024 comes to its tumultuous close, we feel immensely fortunate to have the trust of our clients and community, and to feel ourselves working at the thrilling, leading edge of event creation, and live human experiences. It’s a time of unpredictable changes. We are committed, in 2025 and beyond, to promote joy, optimism and positive personal agency.

There is no way to anticipate what will emerge from the momentous (and all-too-frequently terrifying) developments in politics and culture that we’re currently seeing and living through. In this context, how we gather matters. Can we talk to each other, play, connect and have meaningful, joyous experiences? 

For EnJoy Productions, our game has always been, and will continue to be,  not simply entertainment, or manifesting a client’s message, but creating transformative experiences for diverse audiences. It’s aliveness, hope and beauty. 

For those of you who are with us on this mission, we do have a nonprofit branch of EnJoy, through our fiscal Sponsor, Shunpike. This division of our company allowed us to raise money and produce Venus & the Vixens, and will allow us, in 2025, to create some very exciting free live performances in Seattle, dedicated to the city’s revitalization. We are so excited to have received a Hope Corps grant from the Seattle office of Arts and Culture. Watch for Seattle Pop Up Theatre throughout downtown in August of 2025.

If  you’d like to support our work in creating public art,  you can make a donation via our fiscal sponsor, Shunpike, by giving directly on their website or by sending a check made out to "Shunpike" to their mailing address (PO Box 22439. Seattle, WA 98122), specifying EnJoy Productions in the memo line. Thank you in advance, and may you have a warm, calm and enjoyable end of 2024

Onward and upward!

Kevin Joyce and Martha Enson

A production shot of the Goddesses of Venus & the Vixens. Photo by Michelle Bates.

In May of this year, I had the joy of premiering a rock musical called Venus & The Vixens: Games of Love. This production was a labor of love and collaboration with Sari Breznau, who composed all the songs, and Caela Bailey, who co-wrote the lyrics with Sari and me. Together, we set out to create an immersive theatrical experience that blended musical theater, humor, and play.

The final song of the show, "Risk It," captured the essence of the story and my worldview at this moment in time:

Bare your heart and show your cards
Take a chance and drop your guard
Jump in and don’t be coy
It’s time to OWN YOUR JOY...

These lyrics are more than a catchy tune; they’re a rallying cry. They embody a belief that resonates deeply in my life and work: You can’t win if you don’t play.

Songwriters Caela Bailey, Sari Breznau and Martha Enson take a selfie during a rehearsal dinner.

Why This Message Now?

We’ve all heard the sayings: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” or “You’ve got to get some skin in the game.” But after living through the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, these ideas feel more urgent than ever.

The Surgeon General recently declared loneliness a public health epidemic. People are worn out from years of fear, uncertainty, and disconnection. Many of us have become risk-averse, avoiding the vulnerability that comes with new experiences. And yet, what I see as critical to our collective healing isn’t more work or seriousness—it’s more play.

Audience members participate in the Games of Love, an integral part of our storytelling.

The Playground as Inspiration

When we were kids, the playground was a melting pot of joyful chaos. Whether we arrived with friends or ventured in alone, it was a space of limitless possibility: strangers became instant companions, and every slide, swing, and sandbox promised discovery. Ready, set, GO!

At some point, though, we lose this. We worry about looking foolish. We get bogged down by the grind of adult life. And in the process, we forget the magic of shared, spontaneous fun.

Enter Immersive Theater

With Venus & The Vixens, we set out to create what I call “the adult playground.” This immersive theatrical experience invited audiences to laugh, sing, and participate in a story that was, at its core, about connection. The show wasn’t just a performance—it was an opportunity to engage with joy in a way that feels rare in today’s world.

And it worked. The production exceeded our expectations, proving that immersive event production can create community and rekindle a sense of belonging.

What’s Next?

The success of Venus & The Vixens has inspired us to dream even bigger. While we plan for a future remount of the show (feel free to call me if you’d like to collaborate!), we’re also exploring new ways to use immersive entertainment to bring people together in Seattle and beyond.

Because here’s the truth: play is not frivolous. It’s vital. So, take a chance. Drop your guard. And as your mom always said, “Go outside and play!”

Audience involvement at Venus & the Vixens: Games of Love 2024. Photo by Michelle Bates.

I don’t know about you, but to us it keeps feeling like we’re in a brave new world - one that requires more courage, novel thinking, and authentic engagement than ever before. Events and gatherings just feel different. What the actual funk is going on?

At some point in 2024, a lightbulb went off for EnJoy Productions: It’s all about engagement.

Engagement at the Intersection of Values, Meaning, and Celebration

Our work lives and operates at the busy and treacherous intersection of celebration, values and meaning. As corporate event producers and champions of community building in Seattle and beyond, we have made it our mission to balance these three critical components in a way that fosters true connection. And in times when celebration can feel somehow too frivolous, messaging too confusing and values too lost in the shuffle, we take our job very seriously. 

Whether it’s bringing an organization’s mission to life in a corporate training event, designing an immersive gathering for a local Seattle nonprofit, or organizing a public festival that brings together diverse communities, we aim to thread the needle of these hidden needs, and do it at a world-class level. We’re at the top of our game, it’s the Olympics, and we gotta stick the landing.

For 20 years EnJoy Productions has had the honor and privilege of delivering message-rich live experiences for an incredibly diverse portfolio of clients. From the United Nations to COSTCO, to facilitating healthcare leadership team retreats -  each event we create is custom-designed, with the flexibility to meet unique client needs. Our expertise spans the corporate, civic, and private sectors, and our specialty lies in crafting events that elevate engagement to build loyalty, excitement, and lasting connections. Every single event needs its own special sauce. 

A New Focus: Community as Client

This year, we set a new goal: to make community our client. Inspired by our mission to foster deeper connections, we launched a rock musical experience, Venus & The Vixens: Games of Love, an immersive production created and directed by our co-founder, Martha Enson. Our vision was to reimagine interactive events as tools for community-building and meaningful fun. The production not only exceeded our expectations but also changed how we understand the purpose of our work.

We invented something, and stuck the landing for a trick we didn’t even know we were attempting. Venus & the Vixens blew the roof off what we imagined interactive and immersive art experiences could possibly be, and accomplish. 

In an alienating post-COVID world full of political and social divisions, what people seem to want and need is…wait for it… connection with others. A sense of being safely seen and valued. A quality of belonging. And people want to have meaningful fun. 

Redefining Corporate Events and Training Through Immersive Experiences

Corporate events can be much more than just gatherings; they can be spaces where teams feel inspired, connected, and motivated. As we extend our reach into corporate events, celebrations, training and education, we’re excited to bring our expertise in immersive and interactive event production to organizations looking to transform employee engagement. With thoughtfully designed experiences, companies can unlock new levels of connection and bring their values to life in ways that resonate deeply with their teams.

We’ll unpack this further in future posts, and get much deeper into what it was about Venus that so altered our understanding of EnJoy’s deeper purpose. For the moment, we are committed to new exploration and experimentation at the blurry edges of human engagement, the place where joy and meaning meet. More to come!

Dear Valued Community,

We want to invite you to join us on an adventure! 
It’s a mission that really matters to us, and we hope it will to you as well.

You’ve known us a long time, and in creating EnJoy Productions, you know we’ve spent many years working business to business, which is a different path than creating our dream projects. In envisioning events for Clients, our work is super creative and employs loads of artists, and we’ve had amazing successes: our company has created and performed with and for Teatro Zinanni, Cirque du Soleil, Bumbershoot and hundreds of nonprofits and corporations.

But now, we ARE creating a dream project. it’s time to create something original, something inspiring and beautiful - because the world needs it, our city needs it, we all need it. We have an opportunity to make an uplifting contribution, at a time when people are isolated and overwhelmed. It’s why we do what we do.

What’s the dream show? It’s a vision I had years ago, and it came alive during the pandemic as a clear response to the human need for connection. Now the time is right to bring it to life, and we need your help, because this production literally won’t happen without our community’s investment. Today is the first day of our Kickstarter campaign, and we really need you to join us as we get the ball rolling. 

Venus & the Vixens: Games of Love is an interactive rock circus musical based on the iconic love story of Cupid and Psyche and accompanied by a kick-ass all-female rock band, with food and drink! Its world premiere is May 30 - June 16, and many pieces of this epic production have already come together - the songs are written, the script is being dramaturged, and the cast is ready to roll.  It is our hope that Venus & The Vixens: Games of Love is going to redefine the meaning of immersive, interactive theater and forever imprint itself on the Seattle performance art scene.

We have been committed for over 30 years to paying artists living wages, and supporting nonprofits. Right now, our most significant challenges are paying our cast and crew the wage they deserve, and paying SANCA and Emerald City Trapeze to rent their amazing venue for rehearsals and production. 

Our Kickstarter campaign runs Feb 1 - 27, and we need to raise $60,000 to complete the funding for Venus. Ticket sales will cover only 24% of the cost of this production. It’s very different from working for a corporation! We’re hiring 35 artists and working harder than we ever have to create this show - A show that we will ALL be proud of.

So here’s the ask: I’d like you to please consider backing the campaign today at any level from $250 - $1,000. Or more, if you’re able and inspired! You'll receive some incredible rewards for your support, as well as the assurance that you are making quantifiable investment in this production. It’s literally being generated by and with our community, and you’re a big part of that.

Please click here to view the rewards, learn more, and back the campaign. LINK HERE

With deep respect, and sincere gratitude for considering this. You have my deep respect, and thank you for your time!

Martha Enson, 

Writer and Director, Venus & The Vixens

It's an electrifying time here at EnJoy Productions, and we're thrilled to share our journey with you! We are currently in full production mode for the world premiere of "Venus & the Vixens: Games of Love." While many pieces of this epic production have fallen into place, our most significant challenge lies in the costs associated with bringing a show of this magnitude to life in Seattle.

   To help make this exciting project possible, we're launching a Kickstarter campaign throughout the entire month of February, and we have only 27 days to raise the funds. But we're not just asking for your financial support; we want to celebrate our journey with you in style! That's why we're throwing two unforgettable parties, and we'd love for you to be a part of them. All info above.

    Picture this: games, delectable food and drinks from the amazing Ruby Brink, captivating performances, and a gathering of our dearest friends. It's a free event, and we want you to join us as we kickstart our campaign with a bang!

     So, join us, bring a friend, and please help us spread the word! Your Attendance at our February 1st or February 4th party will make a world of difference. Please RSVP by clicking the link below at your earliest convenience so we can ensure a memorable experience for you and your guests. See you there, and let's make history together! 

Warm regards,
Martha Enson and Kevin Joyce

P.S. Mark your calendars for February 1st and jump on your phones to help EnJoy Productions - Sharing our Kickstarter with the community is where the real magic happens. Are you interested backing the campaign BEFORE we launch? We love you already! Reply to this email and let us know your interested.

As fall settles in, EnJoy is gearing up for a flurry of fabulous nonprofit and corporate events. One upcoming event we’re excited to tell you about is the annual conference for the Washington Festivals and Events Association held this year in Issaquah, Washington from Oct. 9-11.

Martha and I are engaged as featured presenters in the conference, and in addition to hosting the opening reception, facilitating round table discussions, and emceeing the awards ceremony, we’re thrilled to be leading conversations about how fundraisers and events more broadly can be re-imagined and supercharged with meaning! (https://www.wfea.org/wfea-conference)

Our two breakout sessions, “Revamping Live Auctions” and “Why Customization Matters: Celebrating our Clients’ Stories,” will provide us with a chance to connect deeply with the festivals and events community of our region. This is a opportunity for us to guide conversations with industry leaders on the critical “tweaks” that can be made to live events - so that attendees leave feeling more alive and more committed to that organization and community!

As we look at patterns and trends in a post-pandemic event industry, there are incredible opportunities for innovation in how we craft our gatherings. For our part, EnJoy is more committed than ever to bringing joy and connection into our events and helping our clients create experiences that move people, inspire them, and give them a sense of hope.

Over 20 years, EnJoy designed, produced, and hosted nearly 1000 events nationwide and abroad. It’s an honor to be part of this industry and to be part of the WFEA Conference!

EnJoy Productions is excited to provide entertainment at the historic opening of the new Sound Transit light rail line in Tacoma on September 16th. We’ll have characters embedded on the train to provide historical context to the grand opening of the line. It is an honor for EnJoy Productions to be a part of this important event. Performance dates are still to be determined, but the public is encouraged to stay tuned for more information.

The opening of the light rail line is a major event for the Tacoma community and EnJoy Productions is proud to be a part of it. We look forward to providing spectacular entertainment and education to the rich Tacoma public on this historic day.

We hope to see everyone there on September 16th!

The first half of 2023 will see EnJoy traveling all over the country with its popular Communication Survival Guide trainings for teams, as well as auctions for some wonderful nonprofits. Affiliates of Seattle Study Club from California to Boston, Colorado to Alabama, Minnesota and Florida will spend a half day exploring how stress makes us lousy communicators & collaborators, and what to do about it! It’s a program we’re super proud of and the seminar, which combines neuroscience and improvisation, plus using several incredible tools from Liberating Structures. ™

The Communication Survival Guide is as enjoyable and worthwhile to lead as it is (so they report) for the participants. One of the most rewarding aspects of the work is witnessing hundreds of people every week who are committed to showing up as their best selves, and in service of others. The diversity of personalities, the different levels of exposure to the material we present, and the sheer numbers of people that we are engaging in this work makes for some inspiring trips! People are hungry for tools to be less…tweaked, let’s say. It’s humbling to work with people who are on healthcare’s front lines, especially folks in dentistry who are constantly dealing with patients who are terrified! Amazing to witness them work to be at the front lines of conscious communication as well!!

When Kevin isn't producing events or raising critical funds for organizations his passion is playing music! On November 20 Kevin will perform 2 sets of his original songs at Vashon Center for the Arts in the gorgeous Kaye White Hall. The evening is themed "Music and Healing", and will be a rollicking exploration Kevin's 30 year history as a songwriter. He'll be joined onstage by a selection of Vashon and Seattle music luminaries, and the show will feature new tunes from the pandemic, others Kevin has never sung publicly, and songs from the campfire that make fun of everything and everyone. Tickets and livestream information here:

TICKET INFORMATION

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