TEA ALAGIĆ is an internationally acclaimed, multilingual director. Based in NYC, her credits include off-Broadway, regional and international productions of both traditional theater and devised work. She holds a BFA in acting from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, and an MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama, where she received the Julian Milton Kaufman Prize in Directing. She serves as professor of directing and collaboration at MFA, The New School for Drama since (2012,) from 2016 she is serving as Head of Directing Department at MFA.
Tea directed the world premiere of Tarell McCartney’s The Brothers Size at The Public Theater, NYC, and later productions in The Studio Theater Washington DC, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Old Globe San Diego, and The Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Other selected credits: North American premiere of Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek’s Jackie starring Tina Benko at NY City Center (multiple Lortel Award nominations); Charise Smith’s Washeteria at Soho Rep; Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet starring Elizabeth Olsen and Julian Cihi at CSC Rep; The Broadway-bound revival of Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald at The Wilma Theater (nominated for 9 Barrymore Awards including Best Directing, winner of Best Musical Direction, Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical and Outstanding Emerging Philadelphia Artist); Daniel Alexander Jones’ Black Light at the Greenwich House in NYC and The Book of Daniel at UT Austin; Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s Lidless at Page 73; Emma Stanton’s No Candy at Portland Playhouse (World Premiere); and productions of a wide repertory of plays and musicals at Wilma Theatre/Philadelphia, Goodman/Chicago, National Theatre/London, Baryshnikov Arts Center, The Kitchen, Lincoln Center, New Georges, The Carlotta Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, La Mama ETC, Asolo Rep, Hispanic Cultural Center/Albuquerque, ZKM/Croatia, 4+4 Festival/Prague, BAC/London.
Tea was Artists Director of company Stateless dedicated to devise theater. As generative artists Tea collaborate with some of the most innovative theater makers of 20 and 21 Century:Ariane Mnouchkine-Theatre Du Soleil, Peter Brook-Theatre des Bouffes du Nord, Robert Lepage - Ex Machina , Richard Foreman - Ontological -Hysteric Theater, Simon McBurney- Theatre de Complicite. As generative artists Tea performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music, National Theater in London, Wexner Center for Arts- Columbus Ohio, Mass MoCA -North Adams, Concert Hall -University of Minnesota, Iowa Center for the Arts- Iowa, The Walker Arts Center -Minneapolis, Edinburg Fringe Festival, Gate Theater London, Toronto World Stage Festival, Tramway Theatre Glasgow, Festival Iberoamericano de Bogota, Theatre National de Cartalunya, Festival de Otono, Madrid, Jerussalem International Festival, Massion des art Andre Malraux Creteil- Paris, Le Mnege Scene National de Mubeugue, Singapore Arts Festival, Southwark Playhouse-London, Ontological Theater NYC, Zurich and Vienna, Cairo International Theater Festival.
Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina of Muslim heritage, Tea fled her country in1992 to escape persecution, violence and genocide. Suddenly a refugee of the war, she found her salvation and survival in theater and eventually made her way to NYC by way of Germany, Czech Republic, England and Canada. Along her journey, she continued to develop her talents as a pianist, dancer, circus performer, actor, director and taco chef fueled by her deep love for cross cultural exchange and honest communication. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, photographer Slaven Vlasic, and their son, Sebastian.
