Grounding into 2026: Honoring Teatro Zinanni, Launching New Work, and Public Art

It’s a tumultuous time to be alive. The headlines are heavy, the pace is relentless, and many people are carrying more than they ever expected to. In moments like this, we at EnJoy find ourselves doubling down on art-for-the-public — because when community, beauty, laughter, and shared experience take place, we all rise together. 

We must begin this newsletter with an adoring tribute to Teatro Zinzanni, the interactive dinner show extravaganza that has been such a part of our professional and personal lives for almost 30 years. TZ ended its legendary run mid-January. Our hearts and our enduring gratitude go out to the whole TZ family – scores of the finest artists, dreamers and creators we have ever known. Thank you, Norm and Jane Langill, for your genius and powerful capacity over all these years. You’ve help shape who we both are, who EnJoy is, and what it means to create joy and community through art!

EnJoy is busy as ever with our regular staples of auctions, corporate events, and trainings. There’s always room for more, but 2026 is already shaping up to be chock-full — which we take as a good sign that people are still hungry for real connection and  meaningful gatherings.

One of the biggest and most meaningful projects ahead is the Legacy Square public art initiative in Renton, WA. Martha is the Artistic Director of this multi-month program, and it is huge for us — not just in scale, but in spirit. It’s about celebrating community, ensuring access to free outdoor art and activities, and working hand-in-hand with municipalities to activate public spaces in ways that are joyful, welcoming, and genuinely inclusive. We believe deeply in art that meets people where they already are, and Legacy Square is exactly that.

We’re also excited to share that Non-Artificial Intelligence is officially launched (hello, nonartificialintelligence.ai). This project explores what it means to protect and strengthen human capacities — empathy, judgment, creativity, ethics, and collaboration — in a world that’s rapidly automating everything else. We’ll be offering free local community events, as well as bringing this work into organizations across the country through trainings and keynotes that help leaders and teams think clearly and act wisely in the age of AI. It’s part philosophy, part practical toolkit, and very much rooted in human relationship.

Meanwhile, Venus & The Vixens continues to evolve, with studio recordings underway, a free live concert on the horizon, and plans for immersive live events that blend music,  myth and interactive games into shared, unforgettable experiences. This project keeps reminding us that spectacle and sincerity can, in fact, be in the same room together.

A major part of our increased commitment to public art is made possible by receiving a three-year Sustained Support grant from 4Culture to create work for public benefit. The timing feels deeply auspicious. We are profoundly grateful to be able to say yes to more projects whose primary return on investment is community, access, and collective joy.

We are also incredibly blessed to work with — and provide work for — so many extraordinary local performing artists and production professionals. And it is heartening, beyond words, to collaborate with scores of nonprofits locally and nationally who are doing brave, necessary work every day. Again and again, we are given opportunities to stand alongside brilliant leaders striving to make our country more sane, more sustainable, and more compassionate. That’s not something we take lightly.

On another personal-creative front, Kevin will be releasing a song cycle called Songs for Repair — intimate, hopeful, sometimes funny, sometimes tender reflections on how we patch ourselves and each other back together. Look for it on the socials. Martha, meanwhile, has new show ideas brewing (as always), and we can’t wait to share what’s next once those sparks turn into flames.

We’re feeling emotional, steadfast, and genuinely buoyed by this work — and by the people we get to do it with. Stay with us. No one let go of anyone’s hands (thanks Jumaane D Williams) . We are very much in this together.

Kevin and Martha deliver flowers to the cast and crew of Teatro Zinzanni at their closing performance.