Karen Kondazian (born January 27, 1941) is an American actress and author.[1][2] She is a recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award's Best Actress award and is a four-time Drama-Logue Awards winner. She had a regular starring role in Shannon, as well guest-starring roles on Wiseguy, Frasier, NYPD Blue, and others.
Karen Kondazian | |
|---|---|
 Kondazian in 2012 | |
| Born | January 27, 1941 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Education | San Francisco State College (BA) University of Vienna London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1972–2016 |
| Partner | Lex Barker (1972–1973) |
Life and career
edit
Karen Kondazian was born in Newton, Massachusetts to an Armenian family. She attended Abraham Lincoln High School, and received a B.A. from San Francisco State College, and graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[3][4] Kondazian began working in theater, starring in productions such as The Rose Tattoo and Master Class.[5]
As a child, she appeared on Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things.[6]
She won the (1978) Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award's Best Actress award for her role in the Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattoo (1978) and four Drama-Logue Awards for Sweet Bird of Youth (1980), Lady House Blues (1981), Vieux Carré (1983) and Tamara (1985).[7] Kondazian met Williams at a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle luncheon honoring him, and Williams reportedly allowed Kondazian to produce any of his plays.[8] She was also nominated for an Ovation Best Actress Award in Master Class.[9]
Her work on the stage led to numerous TV and film roles, including a recurring starring role the CBS series Shannon as Irene Lokatelli, and guest-starring roles in Wiseguy, Frasier, NYPD Blue and the TV biopic James Dean. She also was in Yes, Giorgio and Cobra.
In 2000 Kondazian wrote the reference work The Actors Encyclopedia of Casting Directors and The Whip in 2012, published by the Hansen Publishing Group, a historical novel about stagecoach driver Charley Parkhurst. The Whip was well-reviewed for its historical accuracy and story.[10][11]
Kondazian is a member of the Actors Studio and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.[12]
Personal life
editKondazian was in a relationship with actor Lex Barker from 1972 until his death on May 11, 1973. They were engaged.[13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Bare Knuckles | Pamela Devlin | |
| 1981 | Gangster Wars | Mrs. Luciano | |
| 1981 | Dream On! | Unknown | |
| 1982 | Yes, Giorgio | Francesca Giordano | |
| 1982 | Forty Days of Musa Dagh | Mme. Kebussyan | |
| 1986 | Cobra | Nurse Irene | |
| 1995 | Steal Big Steal Little | Mrs. Agopian | |
| 1997 | My Brother Jack | Rose Casale | |
| 1998 | Shadow of Doubt | TV Host / Panel (voice) | |
| 1999 | California Myth | Sonia | |
| 2001 | Wedding Album | Unknown | Short film |
| 2001 | Beyond the City Limits | Helena's Mother | |
| 2007 | The Blue Hour | Tello | |
| 2009 | The Shift | Sophia | Direct-to-DVD |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Mrs. Mortimer | Television film |
| 1972 | Appointment with Destiny | Kate Elder Holliday | Episode: "Showdown at O.K. Corral" |
| 1973 | The Waltons | Franzia | Episode: "The Gypsies" |
| 1980 | A Rumor of War | Mrs. Modesta | Television miniseries |
| 1981 | Time Warp | Mrs. Cesere | Television film |
| 1981–1982 | Shannon | Irene Lokatelli | 9 episodes |
| 1982 | Hill Street Blues | Widow Alessi | Episode: "The Shooter" |
| 1986 | Cagney & Lacey | Arroyo | Episode: "Capitalism" |
| 1987 | Moonlighting | Margaret Renborn | Episode: "Poltergeist III - Dipesto Nothing" |
| 1987 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Madeleinska | Episode: "Bride of Boogedy" |
| 1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Lila | Episode: "Reno and Yolanda" |
| 1988 | Wiseguy | Unknown | Episode: "Aria for Don Aiuppo" |
| 1990 | Ferris Bueller | Marjorie Ganesha | Episode: "Ferris Bueller Can't Win" |
| 1991 | Locked Up: A Mother's Rage | Unknown | Television film |
| 1991 | Murder, She Wrote | Rosalee Rossari | Episode: "Lines of Excellence" |
| 1992 | Baywatch | Bella | Episode: "Summer of '85" |
| 1992 | Mortal Sins | Rose Croce | Television film |
| 1995 | Land's End | Mrs. Commandante | Episode: "El Perico" |
| 1995 | Ellen | Gypsy Fortune Teller | Episode: "Ellen's Choice" |
| 1997 | Tracey Takes On... | Casaba Woman | Episode: "Sex" |
| 2000 | Animated Stories from the New Testament | Old Woman | Episode: "Lazarus Lives" |
| 2000 | Frasier | Adrianna Pettibone | Episode: "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon: Part 2" |
| 2001 | James Dean | Mrs. Pierangeli | Television film |
| 2002 | NYPD Blue | Mrs. Kilik | Episode: "Oh, Mama!" |
| 2005 | McBride: The Doctor Is Out... Really Out | Nurse Williams | Television film |
| 2009 | The Bill Engvall Show | Fatima | Episode: "The Way We Were" |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Zork Nemesis | Maria, Female Patient #2 |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Richard II | Queen's Lady in Waiting | Ahmanson Theatre | |
| 1974 | Hamlet | Gertrude's Lady in Waiting | Mark Taper Forum Theater | |
| 1978–1979 | The Rose Tattoo | Serafina | Beverly Hills Playhouse | Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award – Best Actress |
| 1980 | Sweet Bird of Youth | Princess Kosmonopolis | Gene Dynarski Theater | Drama-Logue Award |
| 1981 | Lady House Blues | Liz Madden | South Coast Repertory Theater | Drama-Logue Award |
| 1983 | Vieux Carré | Mrs. Wire | Beverly Hills Playhouse | LA Weekly Theater Award – Best Actress Drama-Logue Award |
| 1984 | Broken Eggs | Sonia | Ensemble Studio Theatre | |
| 1985–1986 | Tamara | Aelis | Il Vittoriale | Drama-Logue Award |
| 1987 | The Night of the Iguana | Maxine | Old Globe Theatre | |
| 1989 | Freedomland | Claude | South Coast Repertory Theater | Play Nominated—Pulitzer Prize |
| 1989 | Mixed Blessings | Velia Martinez | Coconut Grove Playhouse | |
| 1991 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Martha | Berkeley Repertory Theatre | Nominated—San Francisco Drama Critics Circle Award – Best Actress |
| 1996 | Orpheus Descending | Lady | The Fountain Theatre | Nominated—Ovation Award – Best Actress |
| 2000 | The Night of the Iguana | Maxine | The Fountain Theatre | Back Stage Garland Award |
| 2003–2004 | Master Class | Maria Callas | The Fountain Theatre | Ovation Award – Best Production of the Year Back Stage Garland Award Maddy Award Entertainment Today Award – Best Actress |
| 2005 | Kissing Fidel | Miriam | 42nd Street Theater | [14] |
| 2007 | The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore | Mrs. Goford | The Fountain Theatre | Nominated—LA Weekly Theater Award – Best Actress |
| 2016 | Baby Doll | Aunt Rose Comfort | The Fountain Theatre |
Bibliography
editAwards
editActing
edit- Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, The Rose Tattoo (1979)
- Drama-Logue Award for Sweet Bird of Youth (1980)
- Drama-Logue Award for Lady House Blues (1981)
- LA Weekly Theater Award for Best Actress, Vieux Carré (1983)
- Drama-Logue Award for Vieux Carré (1983)
- Drama-Logue Award for Tamara (1985)
- Back Stage Garland Award for The Night of the Iguana (2000)
- Ovation Award for Master Class, Best Production of the Year (2004)
- Back Stage Garland Award for Master Class (2004)
- Maddy Award for Master Class (2004)
- Entertainment Today Award for Best Actress, Master Class (2004)
Writing
edit- 2014 Readers Favorite, Gold Medal Prize for Winner Best Western Fiction, The Whip[19]
- 2013 Global Ebook Awards, First Place - Winner Best Historical Fiction, The Whip[20]
- USA Book News Award, Best Historical Fiction, The Whip (2012)[21]
- National Indie Excellence Award, Best Western, The Whip (2013)[22]
- International Book Award, Best Western, The Whip (2013)[23]
References
edit- ^ Riggs, Thomas (2001). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Gale Group. p. 187. ISBN 0787646393.
- ^ "New novel details legendary Watsonville woman's life". KSBW. August 24, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
- ^ "Karen Kondazian". ADAA: Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ "Karen Kondazian". Lincoln Alumni. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
- ^ Cuthbert, David. "'A Witch and a Bitch' to the rescue". Retrieved July 18, 2013.
- ^ Pachelli, Nick. "Was Legendary Stagecoach Driver Charlie Parkhurst Gay or Trans?". The Advocate. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ "1969 – 1979 Awards". Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Koehler, Robert. "Working in L.A., Living Tennessee". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Spindle, Les (November 9, 2004). "Focus on the Ovation Awards: Ovation Prognostications". Backstage. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ Kondazian, Karen (June 14, 2012). "Karen Kondazian interviewed on KRON 4 San Francisco with Jan Wahl". KRON 4 Morning News (Interview). Interviewed by Jan Wahl. San Francisco: KRON.
- ^ "Review: The Whip". The Historical Novel Society. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ "Author Karen Kondazian Discusses Her New Book 'The Whip'". KCAL9. July 20, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Boller, Reiner (November 2, 2009). "Karen Kondazian". Lex-Barker.com. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (September 22, 2005). "Planting Big Wet Ones on the Face of Cuba". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
- ^ "A Good Read: The Whip". CBS. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ "Author Karen Kondazian Discusses Her New Book 'The Whip'". CBS. July 20, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ "Fiction Reviews, November 1, 2011". Library Journal. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ "BookRadio Show Premieres in Santa Monica". MediaBistro. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "2014 Readers Favorite Award Contest Winners".
- ^ "2013 Global Ebook Awards Winners". August 18, 2013.
- ^ "The USA Best Book Awards (2012 Winners)". USA Book News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ "WINNERS OF THE 2013 AWARDS!". National Indie Excellence Award. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
- ^ "2013 International Book Awards". International Book Awards. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013.