Parsons Behle & Latimer (Parsons) shareholder J. Kevin West has been installed as the president of the board of trustees of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival (ISF). West will serve as president for a two-year term. Prior to serving as president, West served as the vice president of board operations for ISF over the past two years. He has served on the board of trustees for a total of seven years. Parsons has been a proud sponsor and community partner of the ISF for many years as an official sponsor, gala attendee and host for ISF board meetings.
As well as being an attorney, West is a former English major who maintains a love of literature and the arts in all their forms. Becoming involved as a leader of the ISF was a perfect fit with these personal interests. West says that having world-class theater in a beautiful amphitheater on the river is truly a blessing to the Boise community and surrounding areas. “I have been to Shakespeare productions in the U.S. and in London. The plays produced by the ISF compare with any I have seen. Our actors, producers and technicians are incredibly talented professionals who come from all over the country to spend the summer in Boise. And we get to see five great productions each year, May through September. The productions include Shakespeare plays of course, but also musicals, murder mysteries and comedies, so there is something for everyone. The amphitheater, and its surrounding 30 acres of land on the river, is a beautiful place to stroll, see wildlife and just enjoy nature. It’s a great environment away from the bustle of the nearby city,” he says.
Founded in 1977, the ISF is a nationally-recognized theater company. At its inception, the ISF offered one play per season. Over the years, the company and its production grew in popularity, outgrowing various locations, until it secured its permanent home in 1997 at The Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater and Reserve, a beautiful location on the Boise River. Today the ISF produces and presents five plays each year with nationally-recognized actors and musicians.
