Fargo Public Schools committed to Trollwood

Posted on May 8, 2012 by lisafarnham

 A letter from Dr. Rick Buresh, Superintendent of Fargo Public Schools

Fargo Public Schools (FPS) is proud to offer the programs provided under the umbrella of Trollwood Performing Arts School (TPAS). Going back as many as thirty years, FPS and Fargo Parks and Recreation collaborated to establish the school to provide enrichment opportunities for area youth in a variety of performing arts specialties. Since then, Trollwood has continued to grow, expand, and eventually move to the new site in south Moorhead. While providing high quality performing arts opportunities for area youth and an appreciative adult audience, TPAS has also been able to provide valued mentoring experiences to youth at risk. TPAS has enjoyed a cherished status within our community largely for the high quality wholesome performances, for the high quality developmental opportunities in the arts, for the positive personal relationships among students and staff, and for the high-impact personal growth afforded its students. Each year’s Mainstage Musical gets lots of positive attention as the flagship public display of the “end product” of TPAS’ programming. However, it is but one of many developmental programs hosted at TPAS serving hundreds of area students of all ages.

Much has been written lately about the struggles of Bluestem and FPS to find a solid financial footing for the facility in which TPAS exists. We are confident that these challenges are temporary and that this wonderful performing arts center will long be available to serve as a home for TPAS and as a venue for other regional performing arts groups interested in performing for a local and regional audience.

TPAS is funded and supervised through the Fargo Public Schools. In addition to its regular FPS base support, its budget is enhanced by other revenue from ticket sales, concession sales, grants, tuition from participants, donations, and support of the Bluestem organization. TPAS, under the direction of Executive Director Kathy Anderson, has lived within its budget, and when asked to do so, has found ways to reduce costs and find more economical ways to accomplish their mission, all without sacrificing youth programming. The program is led by a competent team of leaders, organizers, teachers, production staff, and dedicated volunteers. TPAS enjoys tremendous support from the community and from the hundreds of accomplished alumni and parents who look back on their Trollwood years with great appreciation and fondness.

Several additional summer arts programs have sprung up in recent years in the community. They provide quality options for area students and each seems to be staking out a niche in the local market. There appears to be an abundance of talent looking for opportunities to perform and learn. It is good for the community and for our kids to have options. Despite the increased competition, participation at TPAS continues to grow. We look forward to a long and successful future for Trollwood Performing Arts School within Fargo Public Schools.

Thank you for your support of Trollwood. We hope you enjoy this year’s edition of TPAS.

 

 

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TPAS Alum Wins Indie Fest Award

Posted on November 18, 2011 by lisafarnham

Los Angeles, California, Thursday, November 17 – Steven Molony, of Clever Lever Pictures, has won a prestigious Award of Merit from The Indie Fest.  Malony, a TPAS alum and 2006 Fargo South High School graduate, was awarded the only lead actor award in a feature-length film!  The award was given for Molony’s exciting performance as the lead role of Alex in Dan Glaser’s feature film “Pinching Penny” which is the story of a British hypochondriac who turns to crime after becoming addicted to consumerism. As his obsession worsens, his life falls quickly into the absurd and he continues to spend himself deeper and deeper into depravity.  “Pinching Penny” was shot independently on a shoestring budget of $4,000 and features exceptional promise from Glaser as a director and from Molony as a rising actor. Glaser is another TPAS alum and a 2007 graduate of Fargo North High School.

“‘Pinching Penny’ is as refreshingly entertaining and funny as it is insightful.” – Jennifer Conley of Movie Pie.  “Steven Molony is great in the lead role of Alex … One good role, and he could prove to be something of a breakout star in the future.” – Josh Lyons of The Couch Potato Club.  Molony comments, “I’m thrilled to receive this award.  To have my name listed among so many talented artists who have received an Indie before me is truly an honor.  I’m very grateful to all those who made this possible, and especially to Dan Glaser for casting me in this project three years back.”  Glaser writes of working with Molony, “To have worked so closely with as fine an actor as Steven Molony on our debut film was not only an enthralling experience, but also an immense honor.  He approaches his craft with such deft dedication and respect, that I have nothing but the utmost faith in his ability to bring extra life to every role.  I’d trust him completely to tackle any film head-on… and bring with that attack an intensity that’s really something to behold.”

The Indie Fest recognizes film professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change.  Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film industry.  Information about the Indie Fest and a list of recent winners can be found at www.theindiefest.com.

In winning an Indie, Steven Molony joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award.  Thomas Baker, Ph. D., who chairs the Indie Fest, had this to say about the latest winners, “The Indie is not an easy award to win.  Entries are received from around the world.  The Indie helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptionally high quality of entries.  The goal of The Indie is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”

For more information visit Steven Molony’s website at www.stevenmolony.com.

CONGRATULATIONS, Steven!

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“New. Bigger. More.” best describe our 2011 TPAS season

Posted on October 28, 2011 by lisafarnham

Our 34th Trollwood Performing Arts School season is on the history books—and what a year it was! Check out these stats:

More. In 2011 TPAS directly served 508 individual students, an increase of 6% over 2010—which was a banner enrollment year itself. Those students represented more than 25 school districts from 5 states. Our 2011 programs together served 859 students and ran at 94% capacity. More students are individually doing more things at Trollwood, which meant a 38% increase in program participation over the last two years.

Bigger. Those 508 students participated in 89 learning opportunities, across 9 programs, for 61,626 hours total of instructional time—which equates to over 7 years of teaching!! And an incredible 99% of students surveyed felt they achieved the goals they had set for themselves while at Trollwood.

New. And most astounding of all, 57% —289 young people— of our 2011 student body was new to Trollwood, having never taken a class or participated in a TPAS program before! Trollwood also offered two new learning opportunities this winter: a Glee Choir and an Improvisation Troupe, which met evenings and weekends, and culminated with a joint performance in April.

Better! 95% of student participants rated the quality of their 2011 Trollwood experience as high or very high. And 90% of the audience for The Music Man rated the performance quality as high or very high.

A special nod for the year goes to our middle school programs, Totally Trollwood Academy and Totally Trollwood Musical, for sustaining and growing beyond 2010’s wildly successful numbers. Our 2011 middle schoolers presented Into the Woods, Junior—and participation was so popular, we created two casts rather than turn away students!  

So, a huge KUDOS to all the students, families, volunteers, staff and
audience members who made 2011 an amazing year at Trollwood!

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2012 Summer Musical Show Announced!

Posted on September 16, 2011 by lisafarnham

Trollwood Performing Arts School announced—at an earlier date than in any other year of the organization’s history—our 2012 summer Mainstage Musical show selection via our facebook page at 4:00 PM this afternoon.

Trollwood’s summer musical for 2012 is the Regional Premiere of “LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical.”

Show dates for “LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical” are set for July 12-14, 18-21, and 24-28, 2012 at Bluestem Center for the Arts, home of Trollwood Performing Arts School, on the Chepulis-Marks Stage at Imagine Amphitheater, 801 50th Ave SW, Moorhead.

Group tickets will go on sale in March, 2012 and the regular box office will open in June. Cast and orchestra auditions, which are open to all high school students currently in grades 8 through 12 will occur after the first of the year.

Music Theatre International of New York released the amateur production rights for this popular movie-turned-musical only yesterday (September 15), and Trollwood is excited to make this announcement less than 24 hours later.  

The Broadway musical based on the movie opened at the Palace Theater on April 29, 2007 and ran for 595 performances, closing on October 19, 2008. The musical was written by Laurence O’Keefe, with Laura Bell Bundy starring as Elle Woods. Laura Bell Bundy was nominated for the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

TPAS alumna and former Moorhead resident Becky Gulsvig has starred in the show’s title role of “Elle Woods” for the National Tour and in a special appearance on this year’s televised Tony Awards Show, and was in the original Broadway cast of “LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical.”

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The “IT” factor for dinner and a show under the stars

Posted on May 16, 2011 by
Trollwood musical performance on Bluestem stage

Trollwood's 32nd annual musical, Anything Goes, presented in 2010 at Bluestem Center for the Arts.

Trollwood Performing Arts School is set to stage another summer musical—its 33rd, in fact. Experience the laughter, familiar melodies, and heart-warming scenes of The Music Man, with performances July 14-16, 20-23, and 27-30 for 2011.

These annual shows are the region’s largest attended arts performance and have won both regional and national artistic and people’s choice awards throughout the years. But what exactly is “it” that makes Trollwood’s musicals so popular year after year with the people of the region?

Show selection certainly plays a part. Broadway show tune recognition, performance opportunities for a large cast, and broad audience appeal are all considered when selecting the musical for each season.

Another “it” factor is a musical with an engaging artistic vision that is a creative collaboration of regionally and nationally recognized artists and theatre professionals, who in turn guide a talented cast, orchestra, and technical crews comprised of area teens.

Bluestem Center for the Arts, a recently constructed $13M facility, located in south Moorhead, MN, is the home of Trollwood Performing Arts School. The Imagine Amphitheater on the Bluestem campus is an outdoor amphitheater (it is so much more than a ‘stage!’) where Trollwood musicals are presented, can’t help but draw crowds on its own, and give them a “Wow!” feeling.

But the whole of “it” can best be summed up with the word “experience” and ALL that encompasses at a Trollwood musical. Patrons experience a night worth remembering!

Come for an alfresco dinner at Imagine Café before the show, and enjoy a freshly grilled chicken breast sandwich, a gourmet burger, or even steak and kabobs, expertly prepared by Oven Door Catering.

Let your graze drift across the expansive grounds of Bluestem Center for the Arts as the sun begins to set on a lazy Midwest summer evening.

The anticipation of a night of well-produced theatre builds as tuning notes from the production orchestra waft through the air.

A smiling usher takes you to your spot in the ampthitheater, where the variegated colors of the general admission stone bench seating and the 1,000 reserved theatre seats live in natural harmony with four Douglas Fir arches soaring over the expansive stage, and backed by the wooded riverbanks of the mighty Red.

A hush descends on the entire crowd as the first line of the night’s performance is delivered ….

At some point during the night, between soaring vocal notes, glances at your toe-tapping neighbor, and smiles that spontaneously break out on your face in response to the action unfolding on stage, you look up at the stars, winking at you in the night sky. You’ve just experienced theatre like you can never experience it anywhere else.

Then you, too, understand “it,” and know why people come back year after year to experience another Trollwood Performing Arts School musical. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget. See you at this summer’s show!

[END]

2011 TPAS musical
The Music Man
July 14-16, 20-23, and 27-30
American Sign Language interpreted and Audio Described performance—July 22
8:30 PM
Imagine Amphitheater, Bluestem Center for the Arts, Moorhead

Tickets online www.trollwood.org
Reservations and Group Sales 218-477-6502
Enjoy dinner before the show at Imagine Café, and browse our Silent Auction.
All proceeds benefit TPAS programs and scholarships funds.

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National Volunteer Week is April 10-16, 2011

Posted on April 11, 2011 by

Trollwood Performing Arts School is like other service and education organizations: we depend upon a force of volunteers to deliver our programs to the public, and accomplish daily operational tasks. They donate countless hours of their time and talent to make our organization run smoothly and “look good!” In honor of National Volunteer Week, TPAS is proud to showcase one of our many dedicated volunteers:

The Snortlands: Olivia, Julie and Mickey

Julie Snortland (center) and husband Mickey congratulate daughter Olivia after a Trollwood musical performance last summer.

Worth her weight in gold (or is that yellow bricks?)!
Some begin as just parents of student participants, others are community members passionate about youth or the arts, but all are Trollwood FRIENDS after their time as TPAS volunteers!

Julie Snortland and husband Mickey are north side Fargo residents and farm near Sharon, ND. Julie first became a TPAS volunteer in 2002, as son Blake was involved in Trollwood’s mainstage and classes. Daughters Eliza and Olivia have since been on the Trollwood stage, and now their youngest child, Alanna, is involved in Trollwood classes and productions.

Trollwood ambassador, costume shop seamstress, props helper, set painter, silent auction attendant, microphone capsule installer for actors, and usher are all volunteering jobs held by Julie over the last ten years. She seems to have found her calling, and has turned volunteerism into an avocation, coordinating props and helping with costumes for area school theatre productions and her church in recent years.

We asked Julie for her thoughts on volunteering at Trollwood, and here’s what she had to share: What do you enjoy most as you volunteer at TPAS? We learn so much from the professionals. Working together builds friendships with parents, volunteers and staff, and there’s always laughter and good times, along with a feeling of significant accomplishment.

Why do you volunteer at Trollwood? The invitation to volunteer is sincere, and the staff is helpful and appreciative. We know we’re making a difference in the production, but more importantly, we’re making a positive difference for our own children and the children of others, as they all strive to learn and excel.

Do YOU benefit by volunteering at TPAS? Being on campus, volunteering during rehearsals, is so satisfying. Unless you’re a teacher, you don’t get many opportunities to see kids in action, learning and growing. It is inspiring to watch them during the process, and then to see their final product on stage.

What is your favorite experience as a Trollwood volunteer? For the production party, some brave parents perform a little musical skit that spoofs the mainstage show. It doesn’t get any sillier than this, and having a chance to entertain the troops is our gift of thanks to them, and they even laugh at our antics!

What would you tell someone who is considering a 2011 Trollwood volunteer experience? Just put your foot in the water, and you’ll find that it’s a warm, refreshing experience. You don’t even have to know how to swim; they’ll teach you what you need to know.

Mickey and I have missed only 2 or 3 Trollwood productions in ten years. That’s roughly 150 shows! Mickey drives 90 miles one way from the farm to attend the show, and returns afterwards. Like any activity your children are involved with, supporting them is a great joy and privilege. The calibre of Trollwood productions doubles the fun. We catch something new every time we watch a show, by focusing on different students and their roles each evening.

Thanks, Julie, from the very bottom of our hearts for devoting your time and sharing your talents with the students, families, and patrons of Trollwood Performing Arts School. We appreciate your volunteer efforts more than we can adequately say!

If you would like to join the ranks of folks who gain by giving their time and talents as a commuity volunteer, and would like to volunteer at Trollwood Performing Arts School, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Nancy Glaser at 218.477.6513 or glasern@fargo.k12.nd.us.

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2011 Faculty Feature: Timm Sharp

Posted on April 4, 2011 by

Timm Sharp, soon to be seen in HBO's new comedy, Enlightened, beginning in September

2011 Faculty Feature
TPAS is excited to provide regional arts education programming this summer taught by high caliber instructors, educators, and experienced professionals from down the street and across the nation. Each faculty member contributes something unique and special to the learning experiences that happen at Trollwood.

2011 Faculty member Timm Sharp is slated to teach two Trollwood Academy classes this June: Advanced Improvisation and Scene Study.

Timm Sharp is no stranger to Trollwood—as a Fargo North High School senior, he was cast as the hysterically funny house slave Hysterium for Trollwood’s 1997 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Since then, Timm has launched a successful acting career, starring in television comedy series, movies, and voice roles. For his latest successful project, Timm portrays Laura Dern’s boss, her main nemesis and a “bad guy,” in the new comedy series “Enlightened,” which airs Sunday evenings on HBO beginning in September.

We recently caught up with Timm via phone, and here’s what he had to share:
Your favorite Trollwood memory: Hearing 2 of my improvisation teachers, who were from LA and New York City, talk about their experiences really made those cities a reality for me, just a kid from the Midwest, and made me want to go there and work.

Also, the level of support from my Trollwood instructors, but especially the support and camaraderie from my peers while we were together at Trollwood was really cool, which is an aspect I think is often lacking at regular high school.

Best lesson you learned at Trollwood: I was auditioning for my third Trollwood musical, it was my senior year, and I didn’t really prep for the audition. The lead went to my best friend instead (A Funny Thing…). Michael Walling later told me, “You phoned it in.” The moral is that if you put in the work, you can do anything. If you don’t put in the work, be prepared to fail. Without having learned that lesson at Trollwood, I wouldn’t have worked as hard to get where I’m at today, and that hard work has paid off.

Goal(s) for your Trollwood classes this summer: I hope to inspire Trollwood students to reach for the stars, and then put in the work to attain them. And, build up each person’s confidence. Ninety percent of getting my roles in LA come down to having confidence in myself—just like succeeding at any aspect in life is all about confidence.

For a full roster of Trollwood Academy classes and a summer schedule, go to www.trollwood.org and download the PERFORMER program catalog.

For a full list of Timm’s acting credits, visit www.IMDb.com

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Got “Godspell”??

Posted on March 21, 2011 by

Trollwood Performing Arts School is on a hunt…..for the one remaining mainstage musical poster we do not have framed on our poster wall in Marcil Commons on the campus of Bluestem Center for the Arts, home to TPAS.

Have you got “Godspell”?

If you have a poster of Trollwood’s 1980 production of Godspell, would you be willing to donate it to TPAS? We will give it a loving home amongst the posters from our 31 other mainstage musicals, plus a few Totally Trollwood shows and even a few Second Stage productions.

Be in touch, and, Thanks!

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Summer Theatre Homework Assignment

Posted on February 14, 2011 by

Reprinted from Dramatics Magazine’s Website (http://schooltheatre.org/extra-credit?sid=803)

Here’s your homework: go off, have a dramatic summer of some kind, and report back to us in September with an original composition in any form that captures your experience. It can be a narrative essay, artwork or photography, short play or monologue, video, shoebox diorama, graphic novella, poetry, power ballad—surprise us!

Submissions will be graded on creativity, authenticity, summer theatre relevance, and overall excellence (humor doesn’t hurt). Top scorers will be featured on schooltheatre.org and/or in the 2012 edition of the Dramatics magazine Summer Theatre Directory. Instant fame, in other words. There might also be prizes involved, of monetary value not to exceed fifty bucks, at the discretion of the testing board.

Your homework project can be submitted in hard copy or as a digital file. Make sure your submission includes your full name, complete mailing address, phone number(s), e-mail address, plus your school name and Thespian troupe number (if you‘re a Thespian). Send it to: Dramatics Summer Theatre Homework, 2343 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45219; or via e-mail (with “Summer Theatre Homework” in the subject line) to pubs@schooltheatre.org. Submissions must be received by September 30 for full credit.

Spend your summer with us at Trollwood Performing Arts School….we’ll help you get started on this summer homework assignment!

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Music MAN Mayhem: 9 perfect roles for men

Posted on February 8, 2011 by

Men, this is YOUR year at Trollwood Performing Arts School! It’s the PERFECT year to audition for Trollwood’s Mainstage Musical, The Music Man. Cast roles are assigned by audition, and are open to students currently in grades 8 through 12.

What makes it so perfect for YOU is the number and range of featured male roles in this year’s show!

HAROLD HILL: The perfect opportunity for any male actor to show off his performance skills! Harld sings, dances, and acts his way through nearly every scene in the show. Broadway doesn’t write roles like this anymore, so this is your chance to play one of Broadway’s most desireable leading roles ever!

MARCELLUS WASHBURN: Harold’s sidekick. Two featured songs give this actor two opportunities to shine like a star. This character is also a significant comic role throughout the whole script.

MAYOR SHINN: This is an amazing character role! Big part, big laughs, with lots of stage time. Every Broadway wanna-be wants to play this role!

TOMMY DJILAS: He’s young, handsome, and dangerous–and the girls love him! Here’s your big chance to play the heartthrob, and the lead dancer!

CHARLIE COWELL: The show’s dark villain. He plays an important, pivitol role in the plot, with plenty of scene work.

BARBERSHOP QUARTET: These four roles were originally played by “The Blenders” in Trollwood’s 1991 production. They sing in harmony throughout the ENTIRE show. Lots of stage time. Become Trollwood’s very own acappella “Boy Band!”

Of course, there are plenty of roles in The Music Man for the ladies, too. Check out all the details online at www.trollwood.org.

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