Trollwood Performing Arts School

What Trollwood Performing Arts School does

Trollwood Performing Arts School, founded in 1978 and headquartered at Bluestem Center for the Arts in Moorhead, Minnesota, is a nonprofit youth performing arts education organization operating as a program of Fargo Public Schools. It delivers a tiered curriculum spanning Grades K-12 across approximately twelve annual programs, including ArtSpark (K-5), Trollwood Children's Theatre (5-6), Totally Trollwood Academy and Musical (5-8), and high-school offerings such as Trollwood Academy, Trollwood Players, Trollwood Conservatory, Student Leadership, and the flagship Mainstage Musical. The organization also runs a Winter Academy, national touring acts, regional entertainment programming, and facility rentals at the 2,500-seat Imagine Amphitheater and Marcil Commons.

Trollwood monetizes through a diversified set of revenue streams: per-program registration fees (e.g., ArtSpark $300/week, Winter Academy $175 for six sessions), ticket sales from Mainstage Musical and other productions (reserved $30-$45, general admission $12-$18), corporate sponsorships (Bell Bank anchors the 2026 Frozen production and matches Giving Hearts Day donations), tax-deductible individual donations channeled through the Fargo Public Schools Development Foundation (including Legacy Chair $750 and Legacy Brick $200-$350), facility rentals of Bluestem Center for the Arts, and merchandise sales through a Mistees Screenprinting–hosted online shop.

The Mainstage Musical, a Broadway-style outdoor production attracting over 25,000 audience members each summer, serves as the brand anchor, while more than 15,000 children, teens, and adults are served annually across all programs. Customer-facing infrastructure includes online ticketing at tickets.trollwood.org, in-person and phone box office, and bus transportation services ($100/session) from Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead pickup points, supplemented by a free MATBUS shuttle partnership with the City of Moorhead. Governance under the FPS Development Foundation provides 501(c)(3) status, and leadership includes Executive Director Kathy Anderson, Broadway-caliber Artistic Director Michael Walling, and 2026 Mainstage Musical Director Becky Gulsvig.

Name

Trollwood Performing Arts School

Legal name

Trollwood Performing Arts School

Website

https://trollwood.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Trollwood Performing Arts School, founded in 1978 and based in Moorhead, Minnesota, is a nonprofit youth arts education organization and program of Fargo Public Schools. It delivers Grades K-12 performing arts programs and produces an annual Broadway-style Mainstage Musical at the 2,500-seat Bluestem Amphitheater.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK), Charter Arts & Performing Arts Schools (EDAJACAH), Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE), Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Youth performing arts education
• Theatrical production programs
• Musical theatre training
• Community performing arts venue
• Nonprofit arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Moorhead

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Registration Fees: Revenue from enrolling students in various arts education programs including ArtSpark, Trollwood Children's Theatre, Totally Trollwood Academy, Totally Trollwood Musical, Trollwood Academy, Trollwood Players, Mainstage Musical, and Winter Academy. Fees vary by program.
2. Ticket Sales: Box office revenue from Mainstage Musical productions and other performance events. Reserved seating ranges from $27-$45, general admission from $12-$18, and student/child discounts available.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors partner with Trollwood to support programs, provide scholarships, and sponsor evening performances. Bell Bank is a named sponsor for Frozen production.
4. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations through Fargo Public Schools Development Foundation. Includes Legacy Chair ($750), Legacy Brick ($200-$350), and general donations. Giving Hearts Day campaign offers matching donations.
5. Facility Rentals: Bluestem Center for the Arts serves as community events and exposition center, available for private and corporate rentals.
6. Merchandise Sales: Official Trollwood merchandise including apparel and accessories sold through online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Trollwood Performing Arts School delivers youth performing arts education through a tiered curriculum spanning elementary (ArtSpark, Children's Theatre), middle school (Totally Trollwood Academy, Musical, Winter Academy), and high school (Trollwood Academy, Conservatory, Players, Mainstage Musical, Winter Academy, Student Leadership). It also operates the Bluestem Center for the Arts as a venue, producing an annual Broadway-style Mainstage Musical, presenting national touring acts and regional entertainment, and providing facility rentals for community, corporate, and private events.

Product overview

Trollwood Performing Arts School is a performing arts education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of youth programs across multiple levels. The core educational offerings include ArtSpark (elementary, K-5), Trollwood Children's Theatre (grades 5-6), Totally Trollwood Academy and Musical (middle school, grades 5-8), and Trollwood Academy, Conservatory, Players, and Mainstage Musical (high school, grades 8-12). The organization also operates Trollwood Winter Academy, Student Leadership programs, and facility rentals. The flagship offering is the annual Mainstage Musical—a Broadway-style outdoor production at the 2,500-seat Bluestem Amphitheater attracting over 25,000 attendees. Additional services include box office operations, national and regional entertainment programming, transportation, and financial aid/scholarship support. Trollwood serves as the managing entity for Bluestem Center for the Arts and is a program of Fargo Public Schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ArtSpark One-week summer performing arts program for elementary students in grades K-5 introducing children to theatre games, singing, acting, storytelling, and movement through team-taught instruction.
• Trollwood Children's Theatre Four-week summer theatre program for 5th and 6th grade students in which participants serve as cast and crew for a full children's musical production.
• Totally Trollwood Academy Middle school performing arts academy for grades 5-7 offering 15 different summer classes spanning musical theatre, acting, dance, technical theatre, improvisation, film, and songwriting.
• Totally Trollwood Musical Middle school musical theatre production program for grades 6-8 providing performance and production skills training culminating in a full musical production.
• Trollwood Academy High school performing arts academy for grades 8-12 offering 18 different classes in musical theatre, dance, acting, vocals, technical theatre, film, and songwriting.
• Trollwood Conservatory Advanced musical theatre program for grades 10-12 focused on elevating triple-threat skills through workshops and personalized guidance from industry professionals.
• Trollwood Players Non-musical summer theatre program for grades 8-12 featuring short plays or one-acts that provide performance opportunities across a variety of roles.
• Mainstage Musical Annual Broadway-style outdoor musical production for grades 8-12 at the 2,500-seat Bluestem Amphitheater, attracting over 25,000 audience members and serving as the organization's flagship entertainment event.
• Student Leadership Program Youth leadership development program integrated into Trollwood's high school programming.
• Trollwood Winter Academy Winter performing arts classes held in January and February for middle and high school students covering vocal music, dance, improv, sketch comedy, and musical theatre audition prep.
• Facility Rental Community, corporate, and private event rental of the Bluestem Center for the Arts, including the 2,500-seat amphitheater and Marcil Commons educational center.
• National Touring Acts Professional entertainment programming bringing national touring acts to the Bluestem Center for the Arts venue.
• Regional Entertainment Local and regional entertainment programming presented in partnership with community organizations.
• Box Office Services Ticket sales, group sales, and customer service for all Trollwood performances including reserved seating and general admission options online, by phone, and in person.
• Bus Transportation Transportation service from pickup points in Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead to Trollwood programs, available for $100 per student per session.
• Scholarships and Financial Aid Financial assistance providing scholarships, transportation, dance shoes, clothing, makeup kits, and meals for students who cannot afford program fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 children, teens, and adults served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Fargo Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrollwood Performing Arts School is an official program of Fargo Public Schools. The school district provides institutional support, governance, and operates under the FPS Development Foundation for 501(c)(3) status. This partnership enables Trollwood to leverage school facilities across the region for programming.
• MATBUS (City of Moorhead)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Moorhead MATBUS transit system provides free shuttle services to and from Mainstage Musical performances. Shuttles operate from Azool Hornbacher's parking lot before and after shows.
• Mistees ScreenprintingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMistees Screenprinting sponsors the official Trollwood online merchandise shop, hosting the sale of apparel and accessories for students, families, alumni, volunteers, and fans.
• Fargo Public Schools Development FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FPS Development Foundation serves as Trollwood's 501(c)(3) entity, enabling all donations to be tax-deductible and channeling grant funds to support programs and operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Paper Mill Playhouse: New Jersey regional theater that runs a Theater School and young performer training programs alongside Broadway-scale productions, sharing the model of combining professional productions with youth education.
• Imagination Stage: Bethesda, MD-based professional theater and arts education organization offering year-round classes, summer camps, and productions for children and youth, with a similar multi-tier educational programming model.
• Nashville Children's Theatre: A regional children's theater producing professional productions and offering year-round theater education classes for youth, with a comparable mission of accessible performing arts education for young people.
• First Stage: Milwaukee-based children's theater and academy that produces professional productions while running year-round theater education programs for young people, with a similar K-12 developmental pipeline and seasonal production model.
• Adventure Theatre MTC: Glen Echo, MD-based professional theater focused on young audiences with integrated acting school and youth education programs, comparable in combining professional productions with youth performing arts training.
• Walnut Street Theatre: Philadelphia-based regional theater with an established Theater for Kids program and youth education initiatives, offering a similar blend of professional productions and youth performing arts instruction.
• The Growing Stage: New Jersey-based professional theater specializing in productions for young audiences and offering youth education programs, sharing Trollwood's focus on both performance and youth arts training.
• The Coterie Theatre: Kansas City professional theater that produces plays for young audiences and runs associated acting classes and youth programs, sharing Trollwood's combination of theatrical productions and youth arts education.
• Berkeley Rep School of Theatre: The youth education arm of Berkeley Repertory Theatre offering classes and performance opportunities for young people, with a comparable mission of training next-generation performers in a regional theater context.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Center Education: The education arm of Lincoln Center, a much larger performing arts institution offering youth programs and arts education at scale, providing a broader incumbent comparison against Trollwood's specialized regional model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Trollwood
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWqbjkRBoYPDefOQfzFJ_Tg
• Facebookfacebook.com/TrollwoodPerformingArtsSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trollwood-performing-arts-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/trollwood1978

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trollwood Performing Arts School