Deb Royals is the founder and founding Artistic Director for The Justice Theater Project (2005).  She received her PhD in Performance and Cultural Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016 and her MA in the Theatre and Performance Studies from Northwestern University in 1996.  She resigned from The Justice Theatre Project to support the emergence of theatre companies led by people of color, women and those with all abilities.  Most recently she worked to bring the production of "Pooled" written by Moses Alexander Greene to the 2019 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  Currently she is working with artists throughout North Carolina to create a collective group of directors, actors, designers, stage managers, strategic planners and marketers where each project is chosen collectively,  freely created with love and respect and all revenue is shared equally.  She is a long time advocate for equity, inclusivity and accessibility, believing this approach renders the most beautiful and profound moments to the world.  She is a member of the American Stage Directors and Choreographers.