DIRECTOR

Tea 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. Tea is presently the head of the MFA and BFA directing department at The New School for Drama in Greenwich Village.

Tea most recently directed Jomama Jones’ Black Light, currently running off-Broadway . Previously, she directed the world premiere of Tarell McCraney’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 include the Broadway-bound revival of Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald (Wilma Theater); Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek’s Jackie starring Tina Benko (NY City Center, multiple award nominations); Charise Smith’s Washeteria (Soho Rep); Romeo and Juliet starring Elizabeth Olsen and Julian Cihi (CSC Rep); Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s  Lidless (Page 73); and productions of a wide repertory of plays and musicals at Goodman/Chicago, National Theatre/London, Baryshnikov Arts Center, The Kitchen, 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 born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After fleeing in 1992, she made her way to NYC by way of Germany, Czech Republic, England and Canada. Along the journey, she continued to develop her talents as a pianist, dancer, circus performer, actor, director and taco chef. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, photographer Slaven Vlasic, and their son, Sebastian.