University of Idaho alumnus carries on legacy of late actor through new theatre fellowship

BOISE, Idaho — Ari Keever found her home in University of Idaho’s Theatre Arts Department. Now, a new fellowship at Boise Contemporary Theatre (BCT) is helping the next generation of artists do the same in the late actor's name.

The Ari Keever Trajectory Fellowship, created by U of I’s Department of Theatre Arts in partnership with BCT and supported by Trajectory Consulting and Solutions LLC, honors Keever’s legacy and passion for performance. The first recipient is U of I Theatre Arts alumnus Jacob McGaughey, of Coeur d’Alene, who graduated with his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Spring 2025. McGaughey will assistant direct BCT’s production of “Eureka Day,” running now through Saturday, Oct. 18, and perform in BCT’s fall season.

“Ari was an energetic child who never quite fit in,” said Kristy Kicker, Keever’s mother. “She didn’t have many friends when she was young, but she always tried to make everyone laugh.”

Keever grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and started dancing at the age of 3, becoming a competitive dancer when she was 6. Even though she had friends in the dance industry, Kicker said Keever never truly found her place until she entered the world of theatre at the age of 19.

“She found like-minded, crazy, free-spirited people in the theatre. She found home,” Kicker said.

Keever lit up U of I stages and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts at the age of 28. Soon after, she began her professional acting career with BCT.

“She was living her dream,” Kicker said. “Ari was taken from us suddenly on April 1, 2020, but she has left a legacy that we hope we can all carry on. She never missed an opportunity to make new friends, smile at a stranger, fight for the underdog, take on a new challenge and work hard for what she wanted. She lived her short 29 years to their fullest, taking every opportunity to grow, love and laugh.”

The Ari Keever Trajectory Fellowship will carry that spirit forward. Made possible by the generosity of U of I alumnus Daniel Haley and Julie Cary at Trajectory Consulting and Solutions, the fellowship supports the creative and educational goals of emerging young theatre artists at BCT.

“Ari’s positivity and personality uplifted others, which is why we are proud to be major supporters of this fellowship celebrating Ari’s life and ensuring her story continues,” Haley said. “Congratulations to Jacob on being the first recipient of this award and torchbearer for Ari’s ever-burning light.”

McGaughey, who performed in U of I productions as roles including Hally (“Master Harold... and the Boys”), Lucas (“The Addams Family: A New Musical”) and Nino Quincampoix (“Amelie”), said this opportunity will allow him to learn and grow in his love of theatre.

“I have the privilege of honoring Ari Keever and her legacy through this fellowship by creating theatre in her name, as well as by helping to define what this fellowship means for future recipients,” McGaughey said. “I am very excited to start working down in Boise, and I am so grateful to University of Idaho, Boise Contemporary Theatre and Trajectory Consulting and Solutions for creating this honor and allowing me to inaugurate it into something special for students, artists, families and the community now and for years to come.”

The fellowship is open to Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts students and lasts the length of a production from start of rehearsals through production. McGaughey’s fellowship award is $6,000, and he will be in residence for five weeks.

“In our family we say, ‘Let’s live a little more Ari,’” Kicker said. “It is our hope that in her memory, we can all take on that challenge.”

For information about other upcoming events from the Department of Theatre Arts, visit uidaho.edu/theatre. Learn more about BCT and purchase tickets for “Eureka Day” at bctheater.org.

Media contact

Alisa Volz
Communication specialist
Department of Theatre Arts and Lionel Hampton School of Music
208-885-6465
avolz@uidaho.edu