Vera Fortis

A home for international voices and radical forms, VERA FORTIS is a collaborative company of designers, actors, producers and writers.

TEA ALAGIĆ

Tea Alagić is an internationally acclaimed Bosnian director, writer, producer, actor, and educator. Celebrated for her highly visual, physically dynamic approach, Tea draws on circus and trapeze training, the traditions of Jacques Lecoq, and immersive theatrical techniques to transform text into embodied ritual with bold theatricality. Critics have called her work “vivid, vital, and a lot of fun”, with The New York Times noting her ability to create “a vivid, very recognizable world”, and The New Yorker praising her direction in the North American premier of Elfriede Jelinek’s Jackie, highlighting her skill in finding “infinite variety in Jelinek’s long text… make this smashing of an old icon worth a visit.”

Tea’s work has premiered across Europe and North America, and her notable professional credits include Little Amal at Lincoln Center Plaza, Fear by Matt Williams at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, and the world premiere of Anita Čeko’s Faraway Kandahar at the National Theater in Split, Croatia. Her world premier production of Academy Award–winning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size at The Public Theater received worldwide recognition, establishing the play as a landmark in contemporary theater and bringing McCraney international acclaim. The production featured Brian Tyree Henry in a powerhouse performance and later toured to The Old Globe, The Abbey Theatre in Dublin, and The Studio Theater in Washington, DC. Her North American premiere of Elfriede Jelinek’s Jackie, starring Tina Benko, at NY City Center received multiple distinctions, including nominations for the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show and Outstanding Sound Design. Tea’s revival of Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s Passing Strange at The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia earned wide Barrymore Award recognition, with nominations for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, Outstanding Direction of a Musical, Outstanding Leading Performance in a Musical, Outstanding Music Direction, Outstanding Media Design, Outstanding Choreography/Movement, and Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical.

Tea holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Charles University in Prague and an M.F.A. in Directing from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University, where she received the Julian Milton Kaufman Prize in Directing. Initially trained as an actor with luminaries Peter Brook, Ariane Mnouchkine, Simon McBurney, Robert Lepage, and Richard Foreman, she later performed internationally with her company Stateless, which she led as Artistic Director from 1997 to 2001, touring devised theater productions worldwide — from the Toronto World Stage Festival and Salzburg Festspiele to the Singapore Arts Festival, Israel Festival in Jerusalem, and Mass MoCA in North Adams. For her performance as Ophelia in Sulayman Al-Bassam’s All Hamlet Summit, she received the Edinburgh Fringe First Award and a Best Actor nomination at the Cairo International Festival of Experimental Theater.

Tea Alagić | Director · Writer · Actor · Producer
Associate Professor, School of Drama, MFA Program
The New School, College of Performing Arts

Testimonials Tea Alagić

David Alexander Jones (Professional collaboration)

Tea Alagic is an irreducible artist. She brings signature depth, fulsome presence, and unparalleled attention to every work of art she makes and every collaboration she invites. Each experience I've had of her work has given me a new and vital perspective on how life weaves itself together, and as flowery as that sounds, its the truth. She never repeats herself. And she has a trail of admirers, who can recount her distinct generosity and her knowing laughs, but most of all her genuine collaborative spirit. Tea demands of us our best thinking and our most heartful witness, and she invites our excellence through her curiosity, imaginative risk, political engagement, and, in the tradition of impactful artists before her, through the ways she invites our presence. As a collaborator Tea welcomed me full spectrum and in fact expected nothing less. More than once, Tea has been there for me in an hour of need. Without question or hesitation, she has led her response with an emphatic "yes"... followed by... but first, let's discuss... " I implicitly trust Tea Alagic implicitly.

Performer + Writer

Mark Russell (Professional collaboration)

Tea is a gifted theater director with a strong visual sense. I also find her to be a great teacher, which is just an extension of her intuitive directing practice. Her insight and passion would be a fantastic asset to any program.

Artistic Director - Under the Radar Festival

Todd London Dramatist

Tea Alagic is a true creative director, who brings a distinctive vision to everything she does. I've seen her bring out the best in writers, performers, and designers alike. I've been fortunate enough to co-teach a collaboration lab for graduate actors, directors, and playwrights with her, and I've seen how she speaks to the artist in every student, calling forth the same kind of total engagement that she brings to the work. In addition to being a singularly voiced director and a committed educator, Tea has been an actor, working with world-class directors, and a writer and adaptor of the material she directs. She brings all of those selves to everything she does in the theater, and she brings kindness and generosity to her work with others. She's an artist through and through, and a consummate one.

Jacob Pardon (Professional collaboration )

“Tea Alagic is a boundary-breaking artist. Some of the most exciting theatre I’ve seen has been created and directed by Tea. I admire the courage she takes in her art-marking and I look forward to seeing the continued evolution of her artistry.”

Artistic Director - Long Wharf Theatre

Yoshiko Chuma

Meeting Tea Alagic felt like an electric shock instant connection, instant trust. She has a powerful mind, fearless creativity, and a personality that stands out immediately. Tea doesn’t just do great work; she leaves an impression that stays with you. Truly one of a kind.

Conceptual artist, choreographer, and artistic director of The School of Hard Knocks

Nicky Maggio (Graduate student)

"Tea Alagić was the first person who truly taught me the significance of understanding a theatrical event in its full dimension. Under her guidance, I learned how to work within the psychological and emotional landscape of a character-driven, text-based world, while also recognizing that the stage is a frame--and the director is the camera. Tea taught me the power of composition: that the marriage of visual balance, beauty, and the lived experience of a scene is what makes directing come alive. Beyond her artistic rigor, Tea is an encouraging, nurturing, and deeply thought-provoking professor. She challenged me to become the artist I was capable of being while always seeing me first as a human being. That rare combination of artistic excellence and genuine care is what makes her such an extraordinary teacher and mentor."

Director MFA, The New School for Drama

Kaz Izhizuka (Professional collaboration)

I worked with Tea Alagić during a summer season at Yale's Summer Cabaret, where she served as Artistic Director. The productions she directed were visceral. They were among a few rare moments in my adult life when I was completely absorbed by what was happening on stage. I was glad to be part of that season. People worked with her because they wanted to. Her leadership drew people in because she had her own ideas, could communicate them clearly, and knew how to incorporate other people's input into the work. That last part also made her easy to collaborate with on the business side. We always knew what she considered important, how she wanted to move the production forward, and where she felt she had no expertise — which meant we knew where our contributions actually mattered.

General Manager at Yale Cabaret, New Haven CT

Rebecca Berger (Current student)

Tea is a brilliant educator, collaborator and mentor. Her attention to detail and the care she has with her students is unmatched. Her deep understanding and beautiful execution of her craft is seen in both the classroom and rehearsal room. It is always a pleasure to work with Tea or to stop and chat with her!

Director MFA, The New School for Drama

Andres Lopez Alicea (Graduate student)

#1. As an MFA student of Tea, I learned the importance of deeply examining the script and carefully analyzing each beat. She trained me to continually ask myself, “Is this in the script, or is it my interpretation?” and to remain grounded in what is actually written on the page. #2. Having Tea as a mentor and professor was an invaluable source of support throughout my master’s program. She is the type of professor who knows how to support her students without overstepping their creative process or telling them what to do. Instead, she creates the space for us to discover the work on our own, while asking excellent questions and guiding us in the best possible way.

Director MFA, The New School for Drama

Peter Jay Fernandez (Co teaching collaboration)

“Having observed Tea both in the classroom and in rehearsals, I’m continually impressed with her curiosity and clarity with the text and how she empowers the actor to explore and embody the text’s truth. As a result, the work deepens and releases the story and world of the play fully for audiences and fellow actors to experience. Her intelligence, rigor and warmth inspire artistry on a high level.”

Actor and Head of Acting MFA program at Columbia University

Gloria Majule (Graduate student)

I had the joy of being Tea’s student during my MFA at Yale School of Drama where she taught us Greek Theater. She brought passion, care and enthusiasm to each class. Tea is a kind spirit and lovely presence, she is a trusted mentor I am grateful to have in my life.

Playwright MFA, David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University

Lyto Triantafyllidou (Graduate student)

Tea Alagic was my professor and thesis advisor in the MFA Directing program at The New School for Drama, from which I graduated in 2015. Her generosity as a teacher and director has profoundly shaped the way I approach directing and think about theatre to this day. Through her work and the references she shared with us, she brought me into close dialogue with both the New York and the global avant-garde theatre scene. In doing so, she expanded our theatrical horizons and encouraged us to engage rigorously and imaginatively with contemporary performance. What distinguished Tea as an educator was her deep commitment to the individuality of each student’s artistic voice. She took the time to understand our aspirations before offering guidance, supporting our development without ever diverting us from our own artistic vision. Her mentorship combined intellectual rigor with remarkable generosity, fostering an environment in which experimentation, curiosity, and artistic courage could flourish. Tea also guided and supported me through my first professional steps after graduation. I consider Tea a mentor in my ongoing artistic journey.

Director MFA, The New School for Drama

T. Ryder Smith (Professional collaboration )

Tea is a jewel of the theatre! I first saw her perform, electrically, in a play by Richard Foreman, and in the years since have acted in numerous productions, workshops and readings of projects she has directed. She is deeply smart, witty, and insightful about theatre, and always creates a fun and inventive rehearsal room. She is unfailingly kind to actors and supportive of their delicate, difficult work. And she is a great spectator of the work, whether in rehearsal or performance, watching closely, experiencing everything the actor and play are communicating, laughing freely, shrinking in pain, recoiling in surprise, leaning forward in wonder, yet never losing her sharp critical regard of all she sees. She understands how theatre works and how to make it and has a big vision for its future. An excellent colleague, enthusiastic, resourceful and indefatigable, and a genuine artist.

Actor

Celine Rosenthal (Graduate student)

Working with Tea Alagić was one of the most formative experiences of my training. She is a fearless, imaginative director whose work is visually rich and intellectually adventurous. As a professor, she pushes artists to expand their thinking and trust bold creative instincts. Assisting her in the room was both exhilarating and deeply influential for my development as a director.

Director MFA, The New School for Drama

Zach Finke Hodges (Graduate student)

Tea is an actor's director. She pushes her ensembles beyond their creative comfort zones and demands nothing short of vibrant imagination, which she then boldly crafts into a cohesive, palpable experience for her audiences. Her eye is razor-sharp, her impulses are ambitious, and her curiosity is boundless. As an actor, I trust her implicitly to guide any ensemble we're a part of to our best work.

Actor

Jing Wang (Graduate students)

I truly think Tea is an amazing teacher and mentor. I remember in my first year MFA during a directing class, we were working on a scene from Iphigenia in Aulis. She gave a note to actors that had really stayed with me. She said, “Don’t play anger, it’s flat. Say it with love.”It felt simple, but it had a lot of depth both in performance and in life. It added layers for actors to play, and I learnt how to work with actors. I learnt so much from her class. Tea always gives very specific and clear feedback that I can work on. As a mentor for my thesis, Tea leads me to think as a director, ask very insightful questions and I can come back to talk weekly and update how things goes. She also helps me understand how to actually approach those questions and what steps to take next. That’s been incredibly helpful for me. When she comes to rehearsals, she’s also great at pointing out the bigger things I need to think about. She both gives practical notes and big-picture thinking. This has really helped me grow. On a personal level, she is very kind, generous, and genuinely supportive. She’s always willing to spend time with students and offer help in a very real way. Her teaching style is direct, clear, and immediately useful, which I really appreciate. If I had the chance, I would absolutely want to continue learning from her. It’s so lucky to learn from someone who is both so strong professionally and so supportive as a mentor.

Director MFA, The New School for Drama

Vera Fortis

A home for international voices and radical forms, VERA FORTIS is a collaborative company of designers, actors, producers and writers.