use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = , burial_place = , burial_coordinates = , monuments = , nationality = Bosnian-American , other_names = , citizenship = , alma_mater = *

Charles University Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...

Academy of Performing Arts (1997) *

Yale Drama School The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in ...

(2007) , occupation = Stage director and creator of devised theater , years_active = , era = , employer =

The New School for Drama School of Drama at The New School is a multidisciplinary training program for theater arts, located at 151 Bank Street, and 55 West 13th Street New York City, It is a part of The New School's College of Performing Arts. History The graduate pr ...

, organization = , known_for = , notable_works = , style = , television = , title = , term = , predecessor = , successor = , party = , otherparty = , movement = , boards = , spouse = , children = 1 , awards = , website = , footnotes = Tea Alagic (sometimes written Tea Alagić; born 1972) is a Bosnian-American stage director and creator of devised theater. Her productions include the premiere of ''

The Brothers Size The ''Brother/Sister Plays'' is a triptych of plays written by American playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. Synopsis A. ''In The Red and Brown Water'' The main character of ''In The Red and Brown Water'' is Oya, a young woman who is a tale ...

'' by

Tarell Alvin McCraney Tarell Alvin McCraney (born October 17, 1980) is an American playwright. He is the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. He co-wrote the 2016 film ''Moonlight'', based on his own play ...

, the U.S premieres of plays by Austrian playwright and Nobel Laureate

Elfriede Jelinek Elfriede Jelinek (; born 20 October 1946) is an Austrian playwright and novelist. She is one of the most decorated authors to write in German and was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature for her "musical flow of voices and counter-voices ...

, the revival of ''

Passing Strange ''Passing Strange'' is a comedy-drama rock musical about a young African American's journey of self-discovery as an artist, while combining strong existentialist and meta-fictional elements (especially self-referential humor). The musical's ...

'' by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, and the

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

play ''Fear'' at the

Lucille Lortel Theatre The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse at 121 Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village. It was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse. The interior design is large ...

Biography

Early life

Alagic was born in

Mostar Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

, in 1972. She made her acting debut at age 14 at the

Mostar Youth Theatre Mostar Youth Theatre (locally known as ''Mostarski Teatar Mladih'' or MTM) is a city-sponsored community theatre located in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. History Theatre was founded on February 24, 1974. The work of MTM includes a practical ...

, where she performed until she left the city in 1992 because of the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...

."Tea Alagic,"
The New School. For the next five years, Alagic lived in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Germany and

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, Czech Republic. She attended

Academy of Performing Arts in Prague The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (, AMU) is a university in the centre of Prague, Czech Republic, specialising in the study of music, dance, drama, film, television and multi-media. It is the largest art school in the Czech Republic, wit ...

and obtained her BFA in Acting in 1997.

Acting career

After graduating, she began a career as an actor and a creator of devised work, working across Europe and North America. During this time, she worked with avant-garde theatre directors

Ariane Mnouchkine Ariane Mnouchkine (; born 3 March 1939) is a French stage director. She founded the Parisian avant-garde stage ensemble '' Théâtre du Soleil'' in 1964. She wrote and directed ''1789'' (1974) and ''Molière'' (1978), and directed ''La Nuit Mira ...

Simon McBurney Simon Montagu McBurney (born 25 August 1957) is an English actor, playwright, and theatre and opera director. He is the founder and artistic director of the Complicité, Théâtre de Complicité, London. He has had roles in the films ''The Manch ...

Robert Lepage Robert Lepage (born December 12, 1957) is a Canadian playwright, actor, film director, and stage director. Early life Lepage was raised in Quebec City. At age five, he was diagnosed with a rare form of alopecia, which caused complete hair lo ...

, and

Richard Foreman Richard Foreman (born Edward L. Friedman; June 10, 1937 – January 4, 2025) was an American avant-garde experimental playwright and the founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. Though highly original and singular, his work was influenced by ...

. From 1998 to 2001, Alagic worked as a co-creator and performer in Ex-Machina's ''Geometry of Miracles'', directed by Robert Lepage, a performance piece based on the life and work of designer

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

. Alagic performed in the full world tour. Alagic moved in 2003 to New York City, where she performed in Richard Foreman's ''Panic (How to Be Happy)'' with the

Ontological-Hysteric Theater Richard Foreman (born Edward L. Friedman; June 10, 1937 – January 4, 2025) was an American avant-garde experimental playwright and the founder of the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. Though highly original and singular, his work was influenced by ...

Directing career

In New York City, Alagic also worked as a director and deviser, creating ensemble and solo shows, including ''The Filament Cycle'', ''One Day in Moscow'', and ''Men Have Called Me Mad''. She collaborated with Daniel Alexander Jones on his play ''Book of Daniel'' in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

. Alagic was accepted to the Directing program at

in 2004, and obtained her MFA in Directing in 2007. While at Yale, Alagic collaborated with

Amy Herzog Amy Herzog is an American playwright. She is known for her poignant and character-driven plays that explore themes of family dynamics, personal relationships, and the complexities of human experience. She has received a Drama Desk Award as well a ...

Lauren Feldman LM Feldman (formerly Lauren Feldman) is an American playwright known for her play, ''Thrive, or What You Will n epic'. Early life and education Feldman graduated from the Cornell University Department of Performing & Media Arts in 2001. She was ...

, and Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco. In 2006, for her final thesis project, Alagic wrote and directed the play ''Zero Hour'', based on her personal experience in the Bosnian War. In 2006, Alagic returned to New York City with the world premiere of ''

'' by

. She directed the New York premiere at the

Public Theatre The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: A ...

Under the Radar Festival The Under the Radar Festival is an internationally-sourced experimental theater festival based in New York City, founded in 2005 by Mark Russell. Russell was the former Artistic Director of P.S. 122 for over twenty years, Guest Artistic Director ...

in 2007, which was followed by a full production at the Public (co-produced by The Foundry Theatre). ''The Brothers Size'' was nominated for Best Play at the

Lucille Lortel Awards The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

in 2008. She has directed productions of ''The Brothers Size'' at the

Old Globe The Old Globe is a professional theatre company in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which is collec ...

(San Diego, California), the

Studio Theatre A black box theater is a performance space, typically a square or rectangular room, with black walls and a black, flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interact ...

(Washington, DC), the

Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre (), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland () is a theatre in Dublin, Ireland. First opening to the public on 27 December 1904, and moved from its original building after a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the p ...

(Dublin, Ireland), and the

Actor's Theatre of Louisville Actors Theatre of Louisville is a non-profit performing arts theater located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Actors Theatre was founded in 1964 following the merging of two local companies, Actors, Inc. and Theatre Louisville, operated by Louis ...

(

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

, Kentucky). In 2013, Alagic directed the North American premiere of ''Jackie'' by the Nobel Laureate

. The show was nominated for the Lucile Lortel Award for the Best Solo Show and Best Sound Design. Alagic was as of 2013 the only director to stage Jelinek's works in the United States. Alagic directed

Enrico Colantoni Enrico Colantoni (born February 14, 1963) is a Canadian-American actor and director, best known for portraying Elliot DiMauro in the sitcom '' Just Shoot Me!'', Keith Mars on the television series ''Veronica Mars'', Louis Utz on the short-lived ...

and

Alex Garfin Alexander Garfin is an American actor. He voiced the character Linus in the 2015 animated comedy film ''The Peanuts Movie'', and for his performance he received a 43rd Annie Awards nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a F ...

in the

play ''Fear'' at the

in 2019.Elisabeth Vincentelli (October 26, 2019)
"‘Fear’ Review: 3 Men in a Shed, 1 Missing Girl on Their Minds,"
''The New York Times''. She as of 2025 teaches theater directing at

in New York City, where she serves as co-head of the MFA directing department.

Personal life

Alagic lives in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

in New York City, and is married to photographer Slaven Vlasic. They have a child.

Work

Directing credits

* 2015: ''Washeteria'' by Charise Castro Smith, SohoRep * 2015: ''The Brothers Size'' by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky * 2014: ''4,000 Miles'' by Amy Herzog, Asolo Rep, Sarasota FL * 2013: ''Romeo and Juliet'' by William Shakespeare,

Classic Stage Company Classic Stage Company, or CSC, is a classical Off-Broadway theater company. Founded in 1967, Classic Stage Company is one of Off-Broadway's oldest theater companies. CSC is led by Producing Artistic Director Jill Rafson. John Doyle previously ...

* 2013: ''Jackie'' by Elfriede Jelinek, Women's Project, City Center Stage II * 2013: ''Venus in Fur'' by David Ives, Asolo Rep, Sarasota FL * 2013: ''The Brothers Size'' by Tarell Alvin McCraney, The Old Globe, San Diego, CAP * 2012: ''Petty Harbour'' by Martyna Majok, Carlotta Festival YSD * 2012: ''Man of La Mancha'' by Dale Wasserman, The Burning Coal Theater, NC * 2011: ''Lidless'' by Frances YaChu Cowing, Soho Rep (produced by Page 73) * 2011: ''Waking Up'' by Cori Thomas, Ensemble Studio Theater * 2011: ' by Naomi Iizuka, Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque * 2009: ''Binibon'' by Jack Womack, The Kitchen * 2007: ''The Brothers Size'' by Tarell McCraney, The Public Theater * 2006: ''Zero Hour'' by Tea Alagic, Yale School of Drama, New Haven

Awards and nominations

* 2008: The Lucille Lortel Award Nomination for Best Play – ''The Brothers Size'' * 2013: The Lucile Lortel Award Nomination for Best Solo Show and Best Sound – ''Jackie'' * 2002: Edinburgh International Fringe First Award – ''Al-Hamlet Summit''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alagic, Tea 1972 births Living people Academy of Performing Arts in Prague alumni American theatre directors American women theatre directors Bosnia and Herzegovina emigrants to the United States Bosnia and Herzegovina theatre directors Charles University alumni David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni People from Mostar Theatre practitioners 21st-century Bosnia and Herzegovina actresses 21st-century Bosnia and Herzegovina women