Maryanne Sam

Maryanne Sam's music and storytelling make her one of Australia’s most talented actors and singers with a noted history of giving back to community.

A  co-founding member and active board member of Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-operative in Melbourne has also seen her fill a number of roles; as administrator, first production manager (Up the Road)  and as a writer (Casting Doubts – Blak Inside 02).

In 1997, Maryanne received funding from the Australia Council, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts board for script development workshops and in 2001 Maryanne was awarded the inaugural Uncle Bob Maza Award for outstanding contribution to Victorian Indigenous theatre at the first Victorian Indigenous Playwrights’ Conference. 

A trip to New York in 2005 saw a reading by Native American actors of Maryanne’s play Casting Doubts as part of the Australian Aboriginal theatre initiative’s new Indigenous voices series.

In 2006 Maryanne was a recipient of an Australia Council, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts fellowship. The fellowship will enable Maryanne to develop Urban Isle a program that will take in three separate writing projects across  theatre and literature.  Each project will highlight the contribution Torres Strait Islanders have made to Indigenous affairs in South Eastern Australia.  The projects include the development and production of two new plays, Lighthouse and Guess Who’s coming to Kup Mari and a children’s read together adventure book Meo Samba – Dream Traveller