Dates: June 21, 22, & 24, 2026
Time: 7 – 8:30pm
Where: Murphey School – 224 Polk St. Raleigh
Cost: $50/workshop ($75 for all 3!!)
This three-day workshop offers a dynamic, community-centered approach to using theatre as a tool for connection, dialogue, and social engagement. Rooted in a range of performance traditions, the workshop invites participants to move beyond observation and into active participation in the storytelling process. Through interactive techniques such as Forum Theatre, participants move from Spectators to “Spect-actors,” engaging with scenes that reflect real-life experiences and community challenges. Together, they explore, pause, and reimagine outcomes, creating space for shared learning, multiple perspectives, and collaborative problem-solving. This process deepens understanding, strengthens relationships, and equips participants with creative tools to engage in meaningful conversations and envision positive change within their communities. Designed with partnership in mind, the workshop values the knowledge, experiences, and voices each participant brings, building a supportive environment where new ideas can emerge and grow.
Deb Royals is an accomplished arts and education leader whose career bridges theatre, academia, and community engagement. She is a founding leader, Director of Development, and Technical Director for Pure Life Theatre Company and Revolutionary Voices Young Adult Group. She previously worked with the Town of Cary to found, create, and provide programming for Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and also founded The Justice Theater Project. She coordinates programming for Raleigh’s African American Cultural Festival, which boasts over 45,000 participants. A former professor at UNC–Chapel Hill and Duke University, she holds a Ph.D. in Performance and Cultural Studies and currently serves as adjunct faculty in the Department of Humanities at William Peace University.