{{short description|Australian writer, actor and musician (born 1960)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2018}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Sam Sejavka | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Samuel Marcus Sejavka | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1960|4|2}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=y|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date first) --> | death_place = | genre = {{flatlist| * Art punk * glam pop }} | occupation = {{flatlist| * Musician * actor * writer }} | instrument = Vocals | years_active = 1979–present | label = | associated_acts = * The Ears * Beargarden * the Index | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20071006100653/http://www.comcen.com.au/~sejavka/biog.htm Archive of now defunct official webpage] | module = | module2 = | module3 = }}
'''Samuel Marcus Sejavka''' (born 2 April 1960) is an Australian writer, actor and musician. He was lead vocalist for post punk bands The Ears (1979–81) and Beargarden (1982–86). He and the Ears were the inspiration for the 1986 film, ''Dogs in Space''. The main character, Sam, was played by INXS vocalist Michael Hutchence.
== Early life == Sejavka was born in 1960 in Melbourne. His father, Vilis Sejavka (1923–1980), was a labourer from Lasupag, Latvia, and a former conscript for the Latvian Legion during World War 2.<ref name="NAA Item B78">{{cite web | url = https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=4155767&S=3&N=7&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=4155767&T=P&S=1 | title = Item: B78, 1954/Sejavka V | publisher = National Archives of Australia | date = 8 November 2000 | accessdate = 31 May 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Sejavka 1">{{cite web | url = http://lpra.vip.lv/BULANA/LB/sejavka.html | title = To Russia, with Love | last = Sejavka | first = Sam | publisher = Нижняя Буланка | accessdate = 31 May 2018 }}</ref> Vilis migrated to Australia in September 1948 via SS ''Wooster Victory''.<ref name="NAA Item B78"/> He settled in Melbourne and became an Australian citizen in July 1954.<ref name="Sejavka V">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206913867 | title = Public Notices | newspaper = The Age | issue = 30,757 | date = 27 November 1953 | accessdate = 31 May 2018 | page = 9 | via = National Library of Australia }}</ref><ref name="Nat Certs">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article232897205 | title = Certificates of Naturalization | newspaper = Commonwealth of Australia Gazette | issue = 15 | date = 31 March 1955 | accessdate = 31 May 2018 | page = 1069 | via = National Library of Australia }}</ref> Sejavka grew up in Mount Waverley, where he attended Holy Family Primary, a Catholic school. He attended secondary school at St Kevin’s College in Toorak.
Sejavka spent most of his early working life singing and composing music. From 1979 to 1981 he was the lead vocalist of an art punk band, the Ears, which issued the singles, "Leap for Lunch" (early 1980) and "Scarecrow" (early 1981).<ref name="McFarlane tE">McFarlane, [https://web.archive.org/web/20040419221031/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=306 'The Ears'] entry. Archived from [http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=306 the original] on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2018.</ref> Fellow band mates were Mick Lewis on guitar, Cathy McQuade on bass guitar, Charles "Chuck" Meo on drums and Tim McLaughlin on keyboards.<ref name="McFarlane tE"/> Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described their singles, which "echoed the sounds of David Bowie and Brian Ferry crossed with Magazine and The Boys Next Door."<ref name="McFarlane tE"/> He observed, "[they] became one of the most popular bands on the Melbourne inner-city/Crystal Ballroom scene."<ref name="McFarlane tE"/>
After the Ears disbanded in late 1981 Sejavka became the lead vocalist for glam poppers, Beargarden (1982–86).<ref name="McFarlane B">McFarlane, [https://web.archive.org/web/20040419235346/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=83 'Beargarden'] entry. Archived from [http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=83 the original] on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2018.</ref> Fellow founders were Ross Farnell on bass guitar (ex-Daily Planet), Carl Manuel on drums and Gus Till on keyboards (both former latter day members of the Ears).<ref name="McFarlane B"/> They were signed to Chase Records and had a minor hit with their single, "The Finer Things" (September 1984), and an album ''All That Fall'' (November 1986).<ref name="McFarlane B"/> McFarlane noticed, "[they] adopted a sophisticated, quasi-decadent look and style that drew from English antecedents like Roxy Music, Japan and Psychedelic Furs."<ref name="McFarlane B"/>
The fictionalised bio-pic and musical film, ''Dogs in Space'' (December 1986), written and directed by his friend and former flat mate, Richard Lowenstein, drew inspiration from various episodes of Sejavka's life during the late 1970s. Its title is from a track of the same name by the Ears, which was co-written by Sejavka and Lewis.<ref name="APRA Dogs">{{cite web | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | title = 'Dogs in Space' at APRA search engine | url = http://apraamcos.com.au/search?searchtype=works&keywords=dogs+in+space | accessdate = 31 May 2018 }} Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'</ref> The main male character, Sam, was portrayed by INXS vocalist, Michael Hutchence as the lead vocalist of a band, Dogs in Space; Meo took the role of "Chuck" their drummer; while Sejavka appears briefly in a party scene, addressed by Hutchence as "Michael".<ref name="McFarlane tE"/>
== Writing and acting ==
Since the 1990s, Sejavka concentrated on his work as an actor, writer and playwright.<ref name = austlit>{{cite web |title= Agent details – Sam Sejavka |publisher= Austlit |url= http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A(se |accessdate= 2008-06-29}}</ref> In 1995 his play, ''All Flesh is Glass'', took him to New York as part of an exchange programme organised by New Dramatists and the Australian National Playwright's Centre.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/sejavkas-mysterious-voyage-20041101-gdyw5q.html|title=Sejavka's mysterious voyage|last=Roberts|first=Jo|date=1 November 2004|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref>
Sejavka appeared in stage productions including: ''The Death of Peter Pan'', ''Quintessence'' and ''Shipwreck!'', all directed by Robert Chuter and produced at La Mama Theatre, Carlton. Sejavka also wrote the acclaimed plays ''The Hive'' and the award-winning ''In Angel Gear''. In the 2010s he documented local life in Mt Waverley via his blog.
Sejavka has published many short prose works. His screenplay for the hour-length film, ''Earthbound'', was the first film script to be short-listed for the Louis Esson Drama prize. Sometimes he works as a theatre director.
His play, ''Mysterium'', commissioned by Kickhouse theatre, won the 1999 Wal Cherry Award.<ref name=":0" /> In mid-2000 he played Oscar Wilde in Barry Dickins' play, ''Believe me Oscar Wilde'' at La Mama. His other productions include ''The Lord of Misrule'' and ''Sruti Smriti''.
He adapted Jacob Rosenberg's long-form poem, ''Shylock'', for the stage. This work centred around an adaptation of Shakespeare's ''The Merchant of Venice'' set in a Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland. He later worked on ''Ambergris'' – set on an island off the coast of Queensland, dealing with beauty and greed, and ''As Above So Below'' – a play about the occult practices of the poet, W. B. Yeats. He is a parent and collected 19th-century horror and fantasy novels.
== Bibliography ==
*''Planetarium'' * ''Restoring the Picture of Dorian Gray'' directed by Australian theatre/film director Robert Chuter * ''Advice from a Caterpillar'' *''In the Service of Beauty''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/253939448|title=In the service of beauty|last=Sejavka|first=Sam|date=1994|language=English}}</ref> * {{Citation | editor = Jones, Liz | author1 = Sejavka, Sam | title = The La Mama Collection: Six Plays for the 1990s | chapter = The Hive | publication-date = 1997 | publisher = Currency Press | isbn = 978-0-86819-532-2 | quote = Contents: 1. "The Hive"/Sam Sejavka }} Note: "The Hive" is winner of the Victorian Premier's Louis Esson Prize for Drama in 1990,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122311239|title=Lilbits - Children's book music to the ears of parents|last=Hefner|first=Robert|date=16 September 1990|work=Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)|access-date=4 May 2019|pages=28}}</ref> directed by Robert Chuter then adapted in 2006 by Chamber Made into a music-theatre work<ref>[http://www.melbournestage.com.au/ms1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=308 Melbourne Stage Online – archive] review of play</ref> *''In Angel Gear'' (winner of the Victorian Green Room Awards Best Production), directed by Robert Chuter * ''Mammothrept'' (produced while he was playwright-in-residence at La Mama Theatre, Melbourne). * {{Citation | editor = Oakley, Barry | editor-link = Barry Oakley | author1 = Sejavka, Sam | title = On the Edge: 30 Modern Australian Short Stories | chapter = Seed Habit | publication-date = 2005 | publisher = Five Mile Press | isbn = 978-1-74124-853-1 | quote = 26: "Seed Habit" / Sam Sejavka }}
==References==
{{Refbegin}} ;General * {{Cite encyclopedia | last = McFarlane | first = Ian | authorlink = Ian McFarlane | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop | title = Whammo Homepage | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20040405231007/http://www.whammo.com.au/index.asp | url = http://www.whammo.com.au/index.asp | archivedate = 5 April 2004 | accessdate = 3 October 2013 | year = 1999 | publisher = Allen & Unwin | location = St Leonards, NSW | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 }} Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality. *{{cite web |last= Middleton |first= Carol |title= The Hive – ChamberMade |publisher= Australian Stage Online |date= 29 August 2006 |url= http://www.melbournestage.com.au/ms1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=308 |accessdate= 2008-06-29}} ;Specific {{Refend}} {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071006100653/http://www.comcen.com.au/~sejavka/biog.htm/ Sam Sejavka official site- Archived "About"] *[http://www.chambermade.org.au Chamber Made Opera] *[http://www.sailsofoblivion.blogspot.com Sam Sejavka's Blog] *[https://archive.today/20130209125509/http://www.webcutsmusic.com/news22.html Webcuts] On-line Essay celebrating Beargarden's "I Write the News" *[https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/david-bowie-and-me-sam-sejavka-on-the-moment-his-melbourne-changed-forever-20150627-ghz1hc.html/ David Bowie and me an article written by Sam Sejavka for the Sydney Morning Herald] {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sejavka, Sam}} Category:1960 births Category:Australian male film actors Category:Australian dramatists and playwrights Category:Australian new wave musicians Category:Australian people of Latvian descent Category:Living people Category:Writers from Melbourne Category:People from Mount Waverley, Victoria Category:Musicians from Melbourne Category:People educated at St Kevin's College, Melbourne