Staff Reports
Thomas White, 18, of Poplar Bluff has been accepted and will attend Interlochen Arts Camp, the world's premier summer arts program for aspiring artists grades third through 12. White, the son of Buddy and Cindy White, will study theatre design and production at the camp.
White graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 2018. He was active in both the theater department and the instrumental music program throughout high school, junior high and elementary school, as well as the technical team at the Poplar Bluff First United Methodist Church. In summer 2017, he was chosen to be a member of the opening show technical team for the International Thespian Society Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. He will attend Webster University in fall 2018 to pursue a bachelor of fine arts in theater sound design.
Interlochen Arts Camp attracts students, faculty and staff from all 50 states and more than 40 countries. These 2,500 artists learn from world-class instructors and produce hundreds of presentations each summer in dance, theatre, creative writing, visual arts, music and film.
Among the distinguished camp alumni are Norah Jones, singer Josh Groban, members of the band OK Go, Rufus Wainwright, opera and concert soprano Jessye Norman, conductor Loren Maazel, jazz pianist Eldar, actor Anthony Rapp, cartoonist Cathy Guisewite and many more. Approximately 10 percent of the nation's professional orchestra musicians have roots at Interlochen and the alumni community has been awarded nearly 100 Grammy Awards.
In addition to hundreds of performances, presentations and readings by young artists, Interlochen brings leading artists and performers to the northern Michigan campus. In recent years, guest artists have included Joshua Bell, Josh Groban, the Decemberists, the Avett Brothers, Olga Kern, Harry Connick Jr., Trace Adkins, Branford Marsalis and many more.