Oskar Seliaru Explained

Oskar Seliaru
Birth Name:Oskar Leenart Schelbach
Birth Date:June 18, 1906
Birth Place:Rakvere, Estonia
Death Place:New York City
Resting Place:Woodlawn Cemetery (Lakewood Township, New Jersey)
Nationality:Estonian
Occupation:Actor, director, and puppeteer
Spouse:Lo Tui

Oskar Leenart Seliaru (born Oskar Leenart Schelbach;[1] [2] June 18, 1906 – June 14, 1978 New York) was an Estonian actor, director, and puppeteer.[3] [4]

Early life and education

Oskar Seliaru was born in Rakvere, Estonia,[5] the son of Jüri Schelbach (later Seliaru, 1875–1944)[6] [7] and Marie Schelbach (later Seliaru, née Vilu, 1875–?). He attended at Rakvere High School, and he participated in the Estonian War of Independence as a schoolboy. In his youth he was also engaged in journalism and was an athlete (shooting and equestrianism).

Career

Seliaru started performing on the stage in 1926 in the Rakvere Actors' Circle,[3] and he was an actor at the Drama Theater from 1936 to 1944, where he directed a puppet troupe and a was a puppet technician.[8]

In 1944, he fled to Germany. He founded the puppet troupe Sel's Marionettes (et|Seli marionetid) there,[3] and he performed from 1945 to 1950 with his own puppet plays, including See oli unenägu (It Was a Dream) and Seitse ühe hoobiga (Seven in One Blow).[5] He relocated to New York in 1950[4] and directed and acted at the New York Estonian Theater.[5]

Productions

Roles

Family

Seliaru became engaged to the Estonian actress, director, and costume designer Lo Tui in February 1937,[13] and they were married in Tallinn on May 1, 1937.[14] Oskar Seliaru erroneously sought to have Lo Tui declared legally dead in 1951 because he believed that she had been killed during the Soviet re-occupation of the Baltic states in 1944.[14] [15]

Notes and References

  1. News: Sügiskiri Tallinast . November 17, 2024 . Virumaa Teataja . 114 . October 7, 1936 . 2.
  2. News: 'Ebahaige'. Draama studio teatri ettekandel . November 17, 2024 . Virumaa Teataja . 141 . December 9, 1936 . 5.
  3. News: Oskar Seliaru. 25 aastat laval . Meie Kodu . February 7, 1952 . Sydney, NSW . 2 . November 17, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Thead . Paul . Estonians Eager to Work with Marionettes . The Daily Record . April 25, 1951 . Long Branch, NJ . 9 . November 17, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  5. Web site: Oskar Seliaru papers . University of Minnesota Libraries . University of Minnesota . November 17, 2024.
  6. News: Jüri Seliaru . November 17, 2024 . Virumaa Teataja . 91 . August 15, 1944 . 6.
  7. News: Jüri Seliaru . November 17, 2024 . Eesti Sõna . 192 . August 19, 1944 . 3.
  8. News: Nukk nutab ja naerab . November 19, 2024 . Eesti Sõna . 298 . December 28, 1943 . 4.
  9. News: Mardiõhtu . November 18, 2024 . Eesti Sõna . 258 . November 9, 1943 . 4.
  10. News: Nukuteater Haapsalus . November 18, 2024 . Lääne Sõna . 57 . May 20, 1944 . 3.
  11. News: Eesti Draamateater Tallinnas . November 19, 2024 . Uus Eesti . 274 . October 9, 1937 . 6.
  12. News: Eesti Draamateater Paides . November 19, 2024 . Järva Teataja . 109 . September 21, 1938 . 9.
  13. News: Kihlatud . November 17, 2024 . Uudisleht . 41 . February 27, 1937 . 3.
  14. News: Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County, Chancery Division Docket no. in the Matter of the Estate of Loreida Tui Seliaru, Deceased . The Daily Register . June 14, 1951 . Red Bank, NJ . 52 . November 17, 2024 . Newspapers.com.
  15. News: Local DP Begins Unusual Case . The Daily Register . May 17, 1951 . Red Bank, NJ . 34 . November 17, 2024 . Newspapers.com.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Oskar Seliaru".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.