Sam Sejavka

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. Vilis migrated to Australia in September 1948 via SS Wooster Victory. 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). Fellow band mates were Mick Lewis on guitar, Cathy McQuade on bass guitar, Charles "Chuck" Meo on drums and Tim McLaughlin on keyboards. 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). 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". 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.

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. Note: "The Hive" is winner of the Victorian Premier's Louis Esson Prize for Drama in 1990, directed by Robert Chuter then adapted in 2006 by Chamber Made into a music-theatre work 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).