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TL Forsberg

Birth Place: Canada

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TL FORSBERG is a Canadian-born, internationally celebrated, singer/songwriter, speaker, and coach.

Known in the Deaf culture as "Our Deaf Lady Gaga," in 2010 TL was honored with a Pearl award for her innovative work as an Artist/Advocate of the Deaf Culture. Consciously embracing the word “Deaf” and "diversely-abled", TL has toured her "music with a message" Internationally for over ten years and is considered a Cultural Ambassador for disability and diversity.

TL’s career launched to success playing herself as the "not deaf enough singer" in the Internationally award-winning documentary, “See What I’m Saying.,” where she was written into ABC Disney's TV series “Switched at Birth.” playing Olivia. Other credits include. Guest Star role on Canada's "Earth, The Final Conflict," "Hendrix", as well as VH1's Reality TV Series, "SuperGroup." Stage shows include Children of A Lesser God (Sarah) and Pippin( Magic Assistant) at The Mark Taper with Deaf West Theatre.

As a musician, TL has been Interviewed by Much Music, MTV. City TV. From there she and KRIYA were invited to be the opening Indie act for Fishbone & Esthero, as well as Alanis Morissette & Tori Amos, and was voted by Music Connection Magazine as, “LA’s Best Kept Secret.” Most recently she has shared the stage with rappers “CEE-LO” GREEN” and “T-PAIN, and Chris Mann And Pharrell Williams on NBC’s “The Voice.”

In her critically acclaimed award-winning solo show The Book That Won’t Close, TL portrays a woman who goes on a journey toward wholeness as she learns to confront the parts of herself that are both hearing & Deaf. This show, directed by/developed with Jessica Lynn Johnson, features a Trans character as our hero! The show utilizes visual poetry, original rock music, video projection, and sign!

The Book That Won’t Close has debuted at the BFF Binge Fringe at Santa Monica and has won BEST OF FEST and ENCORE Awards at the Binge Fringe Festival as well as at WHitefire's SOLOFEST two years in a row. The show was selected for the highly competitive and Hollywood Fringe Festival Diversity Scholarship to perform a run of her show in the October 2020 Festival.

As a Worldwide Integration Advocate TL teaches Transformation workshops that focus on diversity and inclusion.
For more information, email: tanyalynnforsberg@gmail.com

TL Forsberg Videos

TL Forsberg News


Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival Empowerment Weekend to Be Held in September


Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival will present its Tenth Annual Empowerment Weekend, of workshops and panels tailored to empower and enhance the careers of solo performers in particular, and an informative event to benefit all performers.

LISTEN: BWW Podcaster Ashton Marcus and TL Forsberg Discuss THE BOOK THAT WON'T CLOSE


Actress, TL Forsberg (Olivia in Switched At Birth) discusses the character she plays in THE BOOK THAT WON’T LOSE: CONFESSIONS OF A LOVE ADDICT at Broadwater Black Box. 

BWW Interview: VERSATILE Kevin Neighbors Working To Be A Difference


After inclusion in numerous theatre festivals, Kevin Neighbors brings his solo show VERSATILE: stories from inside the closet of a half Black gay man to the Hollywood Fringe Festival for three performances August 5th, August 17th, and August 29th. Had the chance to toss out some questions to Kevin on his life-time journey to VERSATILE.

THE BOOK THAT WON'T CLOSE Comes to Broadwater Black Box Next Month


The Book That Won't Close: Confessions of a Love Addict will be performed in front of live audiences at Broadwater Black Box. It will also be livestreamed, so there will be that option for online audiences as well.

Virtual Theatre This Week: June 21-27, 2021- with Kate Reinders, Amanda Kloots, and More!


This week (June 21-28) in live streaming: Kate Reinders, Amanda Kloots and Jennifer Nettles visit Backstage Live, Fredi Walker-Browne shares Ten Minute Tidbits, a Kerry Butler masterclass, Tovah Feldshuh in Becoming Dr. Ruth, and so much more!

Whitefire Theatre Announces Best Of Fest 2021 June Shows


The Whitefire Theatre's Solofest Best of Fest continues with streamed encore presentations of six award-winning shows airing June 6 through June 27. Grab some tickets and help support live theatre!

Whitefire Theatre's Solofest 2021 Presents THE BOOK THAT WON'T CLOSE - CONFESSIONS OF A LOVE ADDICT


THE BOOK THAT WON’T CLOSE- Confessions of A Love Addict follows a bi-culturally fluid Deaf woman through a series of bad relationships, until she meets a fluid Transgender Orgasmic meditation coach who walks her through a self-contained rehab for Love Addiction to confront her unhealed shame around the parts of her that are both hearing and deaf. 

Whitefire Theatre to Present BEST OF THE FEST Live Streams


The Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, California will livestream 6 SOLOFEST 2020'S Best of the Fest shows June 5 - July 18.

SOLOFEST 2020 Announces February Shows at the Whitefire Theatre


The Whitefire Theatre presents SOLOFEST 2020, the largest solo theater festival on the West Coast. Now in its 8th year, SOLOFEST 2020 brings 80 shows in 90 days celebrating solo artists from around the globe a?' each story-teller sharing their compelling and often unusual take on life. SOLOFEST 2020 will run January 4 a?' March 28.

Binge Free Festival Opens Oct. 12 At Santa Monica Playhouse


Santa Monica Playhouse has been a cultural treasure in the seaside community for 60 years. Now, the Playhouse is giving love back with its Fourth Annual Binge Free Festival (BFF), a full month of free performances, workshops, readings, music and poetry in Santa Monica's ONLY fringe festival. The BFF's primary focus will be on Santa Monica and Los Angeles-based artists.

TV: 'FLIPPIN' With CTG & Deaf West's PIPPIN: Part Two


BroadwayWorld gave the cast of Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre's production of 'Pippin' a FLIP video camera and then set them free backstage during rehearsals as they prepared for opening night on January 25th and beyond!

Photo Flash: PIPPIN at LA's Market Taper Forum


The Los Angeles cast of Pippin includes Michael Arden, Jonah Blechman, Dan Callaway, Bryan Terrell Clark, Nicolas Conway, Rodrick Covington, James Royce Edwards, TL Forsberg, Sara Gettelfinger, Tyrone Giordano, Harriet Harris, Rebecca Ann Johnson, Troy Kotsur, Jose F. Lopez, Jr., John McGinty, Anthony Natale, Aleks Pevec, Victoria Platt, Ty Taylor, Nikki Tomlinson, Melissa Van Der Schyff and Alexandria Wailes. Tony Award winning, the musical is composed by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) and is directed by Jeff Calhoun. Deaf West Theatre is best known to Los Angeles audiences for their CTG productions of Big River, at the Taper and Sleeping Beauty Wakes at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

LA Times: Original 'Leading Player' Vereen Cheers on PIPPIN at The Mark Taper


Ben Vereen earned a Tony Award for his singing and dancing in Pippin, and while his vast and celebrated career has taken him far beyond those early days of that Fosse hit, his heart will always belong to the stage. Vereen was there for the opening night of the CTG and Deaf West Theatre production of Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum. He spoke to the Los Angeles Time about performing in the original Broadway mounting, and how much the show still matters to the audience...and him. Vereen explained to the LA Times that 'Pippin' holds an undeniably central spot in his heart. 'Well, first of all, it got me a Tony,' he said with a loud laugh that echoed outside the theater minutes before the opening night curtain. 'It was also an honor to work with Bob Fosse. There was nothing more rewarding.'

Photo Coverage: 'Pippin' Opens at Taper in LA


The Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre opened Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles January 25. Composer Stephen Schwartz and original cast members Ben Vereen and John Rubenstein joined in on the celebration.

PIPPIN Kicks Off The Mark Taper Forum's 2009 Season 1/25


Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre's production of 'Pippin' opens the Mark Taper Forum's 2009 season on Sunday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m. Both deaf and hearing actors sign and sing the magical musical comedy with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, 'Pippin' continues performances through March 15. 'Pippin' is the captivating coming of age story about a young man's search for meaning in his life, as told by a lively band of troubadours in the Roman Empire. The episodic quest of Pippin, the son of the powerful Charlemagne, takes him through battlefields, orgies, revolution, and finally, love and domesticity, as he tries to find a place for his 'spirit to run free,' for his 'corner of the sky.' This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures. The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Michael Arden, Jonah Blechman, Dan Callaway, Bryan Terrell Clark, Nicolas Conway, Rodrick Covington, James Royce Edwards, TL Forsberg, Sara Gettelfinger, Tyrone Giordano, Harriet Harris, Rebecca Ann Johnson, Troy Kotsur, Jos? F. Lopez, Jr., John McGinty, Anthony Natale, Aleks Pevec, Victoria Platt, Ty Taylor, Nikki Tomlinson, Melissa van der Schyff and Alexandria Wailes.

TV: 'FLIPPIN' With CTG & Deaf West's PIPPIN: Part One


BroadwayWorld gave the cast of Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre's production of 'Pippin' a FLIP video camera and then set them free backstage during rehearsals as they prepared for opening night on January 25th. This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures. BWW TV is proud to bring you this very special video feature, stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon! 'Pippin' opens the Mark Taper Forum's 2009. Both deaf and hearing actors sign and sing the magical musical comedy with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, 'Pippin' continues performances through March 15. 'Pippin' is the captivating coming of age story about a young man's search for meaning in his life, as told by a lively band of troubadours in the Roman Empire. The episodic quest of Pippin, the son of the powerful Charlemagne, takes him through battlefields, orgies, revolution, and finally, love and domesticity, as he tries to find a place for his 'spirit to run free,' for his 'corner of the sky.' This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures.

PIPPIN Kicks Off The Mark Taper Forum's 2009 Season 1/25


Center Theatre Group and Deaf West Theatre's production of 'Pippin' opens the Mark Taper Forum's 2009 season on Sunday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m. Both deaf and hearing actors sign and sing the magical musical comedy with book by Roger O. Hirson and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun, 'Pippin' continues performances through March 15. 'Pippin' is the captivating coming of age story about a young man's search for meaning in his life, as told by a lively band of troubadours in the Roman Empire. The episodic quest of Pippin, the son of the powerful Charlemagne, takes him through battlefields, orgies, revolution, and finally, love and domesticity, as he tries to find a place for his 'spirit to run free,' for his 'corner of the sky.' This production interweaves music, voice, American Sign Language and dance, and combines powerful storytelling techniques from both hearing and deaf cultures. The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Michael Arden, Jonah Blechman, Dan Callaway, Bryan Terrell Clark, Nicolas Conway, Rodrick Covington, James Royce Edwards, TL Forsberg, Sara Gettelfinger, Tyrone Giordano, Harriet Harris, Rebecca Ann Johnson, Troy Kotsur, Jos? F. Lopez, Jr., John McGinty, Anthony Natale, Aleks Pevec, Victoria Platt, Ty Taylor, Nikki Tomlinson, Melissa van der Schyff and Alexandria Wailes.

Arden to Star in Center Theatre Group and Deaf West's PIPPIN, 1/15-3/15


Center Theatre Group and Deaf West's PIPPIN will star Michael Arden and play the Mark Taper Forum, January 15th through March 15th, 2008.

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