Tea Alagic Explained

Tea Alagic (born 1972) is a Bosnian-American stage director and creator of devised theater. Her best-known productions include the premiere of The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the U.S premieres of plays by Austrian playwright and Nobel Laureate, Elfriede Jelinek and the revival of Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald.^[1]

Biography

Early life

Alagic was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1972. She made her acting debut at 14 at the Mostar Youth Theatre,^[2] where she performed until she left the city in 1992 because of the Bosnian War.

For the next five years, Alagic lived in Munich, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic. She attended Charles University Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and obtained her BFA in Acting in 1997.^[3]

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 leading avant-garde theatre directors: Ariane Mnouchkine, Simon McBurney, Robert Lepage and Richard Foreman.^{[4] [5]}

From 1998 to 2001, Alagic worked as a co-creator and performer in Ex-Machina's Geometry of Miracles,^[6] directed by Robert Lepage, a performance piece based on the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Alagic performed in the full world tour.^[7]

Alagic moved in 2003 to New York City, where she performed in Richard Foreman's Panic (How to Be Happy)^[8] with the Ontological-Hysteric Theater. She performed in the international tour of Panic, which was presented at festivals in Vienna and Zurich.

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.^[9]

Alagic was accepted to Directing program at Yale Drama School in 2004, and obtained her MFA in Directing in 2007. While at Yale, Alagic collaborated with Tarell Alvin McCraney, Amy Herzog, Lauren Feldman, Dorothy Fortenberry, Gonzalo Rodriguez Risco, Jennifer Tuckett, Matt Moses and Mattie Brickman. In 2006, for her final thesis project, Alagic wrote and directed the play Zero Hour,^[10] based on her personal experience in the Bosnian War.

Alagic collaborated with Daniel Alexander Jones on his play Book of Daniel in Austin, Texas.

In 2006, Alagic returned to New York City with the world premiere of The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney.^[11] She directed the New York premiere at the Public Theatre's Under the Radar Festival in 2007,^[12] 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 Award in 2008.^[13] She has directed productions of Brothers Size at the Old Globe (San Diego, CA), the Studio Theatre (Washington, DC), the Abbey Theatre (Dublin, Ireland), and the Actor's Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, KY).

In 2013, Alagic directed the North American premiere of Jackie by the Nobel Laureate, Elfriede Jelinek. The show was nominated for The Lucile Lortel Award for the Best Solo Show and Best Sound Design.^[14] Alagic and Jelinek continue to collaborate. Alagic is currently the only director to stage Jelinek's works in the United States.^{[15] [16]}

She currently teaches theater directing at The New School for Drama in New York where she serves as Department Head of Directing.^[17]

Personal life

Tea Alagic lives in NYC and she is married to photographer Slaven Vlasic.^[18] They have a child.

Work

Directing credits

• 2018: Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, The Whilma Theater, Philadelphia, PA
• 2018: Piano Slam 10, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Miami, FL
• 2017: Constellations by Nick Payne, The Whilma Theater, Philadelphia, PA
• 2016: Passover by Antoinette Nwandu, Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project
• 2015: Agamemnon by Anne Carson, Fordham University
• 2015: Washeteria by Charise Castro Smith, SohoRep^[19]
• 2015: The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky^[20]
• 2014: 4,000 Miles by Amy Herzog, Asolo Rep, Sarasota FL^[21]
• 2013: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Classic Stage Company^[22]
• 2013: Jackie by Elfriede Jelinek, Women's Project, City Center Stage II^[23]
• 2013: Venus in Fur by David Ives, Asolo Rep, Sarasota FL^[24]
• 2013: The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney, The Old Globe, San Diego, CAP^[25]
• 2012: Petty Harbour by Martyna Majok, Carlotta Festival YSD^[26]
• 2012: Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, The Burning Coal Theater, NC^[27]
• 2011: Lidless by Frances YaChu Cowing, Soho Rep (produced by Page 73)^[28]
• 2011: Waking Up by Cori Thomas, Ensemble Studio Theater^[29]
• 2011: by Naomi Iizuka, Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque^[30]
• 2009: Binibon by Jack Womack, The Kitchen^[31]
• 2009: Events with Life's Leftovers by Alberto Vilarreal Diaz, Dramafest, Mexico City
• 2009: The Marriage of Maria Braun by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Z/K/M, Zagreb
• 2008: The Brothers Size by Tarell McCraney, The Studio Theater, Washington, DC
• 2008: Aliens with Extraordinary Skills by Saviana Stanescu, The Women's Project
• 2008: The Brothers Size by Tarell McCraney, The Abbey Theater, Dublin
• 2007: The Brothers Size by Tarell McCraney, The Public Theater^[32]
• 2006: Zero Hour by Tea Alagic, Yale School of Drama, New Haven^[33]
• 2005: Woyzeck by Georg Büchner, Ensemble Company for the Performing Arts (ECPA),New Haven
• 2005: Baal by Bertolt Brecht, ECPA, New Haven
• 2001: The Filament Cycle by Tea Alagic, LaMama, E.T.C.

Acting credits

• 2003: Panic (How to Be Happy), dir. Richard Foreman, Ontological Theater
• 2002: P = 3.14, dir. Yoshiko Chuma, La Mama E.T.C.
• 2002: Al-Hamlet Summit, dir. Sulayman Al-Bassam, Edinburgh Fringe
• 2001: Life with an Idiot, dir. Ben Harrison, Gate Theatre, London
• 1998–2000: The Geometry of Miracles, dir. Robert Lepage, Ex Machina
• 1997: Kafka's Amerika, dir. Patrick Kealy, Southwark Playhouse, London

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: 'Passing Strange,' the best musical to not win a Tony, is back. 13 July 2017 .
2. Web site: Mostar Youth Theater. Mostar Youth Theater.
3. Web site: Resume. Tea Alagic. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062524/http://www.teaalagic.com/resume/. 2016-03-04.
4. News: THEATER REVIEW; The Muse and Architect as One, Propagating Immortal Forms. The New York Times . 23 April 1998 . Marks . Peter .
5. News: THEATER REVIEW; In This Mind's Décor, Sex Is No Love Seat. The New York Times . 17 January 2003 . Brantley . Ben .
6. Web site: Ex Machina.
7. Web site: The Geometry Of Miracles. Ex Machina.
8. Web site: Ontological-Hysteric Theater.
9. Web site: Archive 2001. Unidram 2015.
10. Web site: Zero Hour. https://web.archive.org/web/20090418132915/http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v35.n12/story10.html. dead. 2009-04-18. Yale Bulletin and Calendar.
11. News: Stage's Second Serving of Louisiana Gumbo. The New York Times . 7 November 2007 . Zinoman . Jason .
12. News: Two Brothers in a Gumbo of Bayou and West Africa. The New York Times . 20 January 2007 . Zinoman . Jason .
13. Web site: 2008 Nominations. The Lucille Lortel Award.
14. Web site: The Lucile Lortel Award.
15. News: An Everywoman? In So Many Ways, No. The New York Times . 10 March 2013 . Rocco . Claudia La .
16. News: Camelot's Widow, Without Mythology. The New York Times . 28 February 2013 . Weinert-Kendt . Rob .
17. Web site: Faculty. The New School for Drama.
18. Web site: It's a Fair & Fanciful Opening Night for CSC's Romeo & Juliet, Starring Elizabeth Olsen & Julian Cihi. broadway.com.
19. News: Review: Soho Rep's 'Washeteria,' Staged in a Brooklyn Storefront. The New York Times . 30 March 2015 . Soloski . Alexis .
20. Web site: The Brothers Size. actorstheatre.org/.
21. Web site: THEATER REVIEW: '4000 Miles' brings family closer at Asolo Rep. www.ticketsarasota.com/.
22. Web site: Romeo & Juliet. www.classicstage.org/. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150705052033/http://www.classicstage.org/about/archive/romeoandjuliet/. 2015-07-05.
23. News: An Everywoman? In So Many Ways, No. New York Times. 10 March 2013 . Rocco . Claudia La .
24. Web site: Venus In Fur. asolorep.org.
25. Web site: The Brothers Size – Production Information. https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120709150856/http://www.theoldglobe.org/tickets/production.aspx?PID=9813. dead. 2012-07-09. www.theoldglobe.org.
26. Web site: PETTY HARBOUR. drama.yale.edu.
27. Web site: Burning Coal Theatre Company Presents the Classic Musical Man of La Mancha in Raleigh. cvnc.org/.
28. Web site: Productions. page73.org.
29. Web site: 34th Marathon Of One-Act Plays. ensemblestudiotheatre.org. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150705160329/http://www.ensemblestudiotheatre.org/34th-marathon-one-act-plays. 2015-07-05.
30. Web site: Productions. workingclassroom.org.
31. Web site: Binibon. wingspace.com.
32. News: Two Brothers in a Gumbo of Bayou and West Africa. The New York Times . 20 January 2007 . Zinoman . Jason .
33. Web site: Drama school's 'Zero Hour' recounts student's experience of Bosnian war. https://web.archive.org/web/20090418132915/http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v35.n12/story10.html. dead. 2009-04-18. Yale Bulletin and Calendar.