Karen Kondazian

Last updated

Karen Kondazian
Karen Kondazian.jpg
Kondazian in 2012
Born (1941-01-27) January 27, 1941 (age 83)
Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education San Francisco State College (BA)
University of Vienna
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupations
  • Actress
  • novelist
Years active1972–2016
Partner Lex Barker (1972–1973)

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.

Contents

Life and career

Kondazian with her fiance Lex Barker, May 1973 Lex Barker Karen Kondazian May 1973.jpg
Kondazian with her fiancé Lex Barker, May 1973

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]

Kondazian and Tennessee Williams Tennessee Williams Karen Kondazian at Rose Tattoo Play 1979.jpg
Kondazian and Tennessee Williams

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]

Luciano Pavarotti embraces Kondazian on the set of Yes, Giorgio Luciano Pavarotti Karen Kondazian 1981 wiki.jpg
Luciano Pavarotti embraces Kondazian on the set of Yes, Giorgio

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

Kondazian was in a relationship with actor Lex Barker from 1972 until his death on May 11, 1973. They were engaged. [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1977 Bare Knuckles Pamela Devlin
1981 Gangster Wars Mrs. Luciano
1981Dream On!Unknown
1982 Yes, Giorgio Francesca Giordano
1982Forty Days of Musa DaghMme. Kebussyan
1986 Cobra Nurse Irene
1995 Steal Big Steal Little Mrs. Agopian
1997My Brother JackRose Casale
1998 Shadow of Doubt TV Host / Panel (voice)
1999California MythSonia
2001Wedding AlbumUnknownShort film
2001Beyond the City LimitsHelena's Mother
2007 The Blue Hour Tello
2009The ShiftSophiaDirect-to-DVD

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1972 The Hound of the Baskervilles Mrs. MortimerTelevision film
1972Appointment with DestinyKate Elder HollidayEpisode: "Showdown at O.K. Corral"
1973 The Waltons FranziaEpisode: "The Gypsies"
1980 A Rumor of War Mrs. ModestaTelevision miniseries
1981Time WarpMrs. CesereTelevision film
1981–1982 Shannon Irene Lokatelli9 episodes
1982 Hill Street Blues Widow AlessiEpisode: "The Shooter"
1986 Cagney & Lacey ArroyoEpisode: "Capitalism"
1987 Moonlighting Margaret RenbornEpisode: "Poltergeist III - Dipesto Nothing"
1987 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color MadeleinskaEpisode: "Bride of Boogedy"
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse LilaEpisode: "Reno and Yolanda"
1988 Wiseguy UnknownEpisode: "Aria for Don Aiuppo"
1990 Ferris Bueller Marjorie GaneshaEpisode: "Ferris Bueller Can't Win"
1991 Locked Up: A Mother's Rage UnknownTelevision film
1991 Murder, She Wrote Rosalee RossariEpisode: "Lines of Excellence"
1992 Baywatch BellaEpisode: "Summer of '85"
1992Mortal SinsRose CroceTelevision film
1995 Land's End Mrs. CommandanteEpisode: "El Perico"
1995 Ellen Gypsy Fortune TellerEpisode: "Ellen's Choice"
1997 Tracey Takes On... Casaba WomanEpisode: "Sex"
2000 Animated Stories from the New Testament Old WomanEpisode: "Lazarus Lives"
2000 Frasier Adrianna PettiboneEpisode: "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon: Part 2"
2001 James Dean Mrs. PierangeliTelevision film
2002 NYPD Blue Mrs. KilikEpisode: "Oh, Mama!"
2005McBride: The Doctor Is Out... Really OutNurse WilliamsTelevision film
2009 The Bill Engvall Show FatimaEpisode: "The Way We Were"

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996 Zork Nemesis Maria, Female Patient #2

Theatre

YearTitleRoleVenueNotes
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 KosmonopolisGene Dynarski Theater Drama-Logue Award
1981Lady House BluesLiz Madden South Coast Repertory TheaterDrama-Logue Award
1983 Vieux Carré Mrs. WireBeverly Hills Playhouse LA Weekly Theater Award – Best Actress
Drama-Logue Award
1984Broken EggsSonia Ensemble Studio Theatre
1985–1986 Tamara AelisIl VittorialeDrama-Logue Award
1987 The Night of the Iguana Maxine Old Globe Theatre
1989FreedomlandClaudeSouth Coast Repertory TheaterPlay
Nominated—Pulitzer Prize
1989Mixed BlessingsVelia 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 MaxineThe Fountain Theatre Back Stage Garland Award
2003–2004 Master Class Maria CallasThe Fountain TheatreOvation Award – Best Production of the Year
Back Stage Garland Award
Maddy Award
Entertainment Today Award – Best Actress
2005Kissing FidelMiriam42nd Street Theater [14]
2007 The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore Mrs. GofordThe Fountain TheatreNominated—LA Weekly Theater Award – Best Actress
2016Baby DollAunt Rose ComfortThe Fountain Theatre

Bibliography

Awards

Acting

Writing

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References

  1. ↑ Riggs, Thomas (2001). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Gale Group. p. 187. ISBN   0787646393.
  2. ↑ "New novel details legendary Watsonville woman's life". KSBW. August 24, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Karen Kondazian". ADAA: Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Karen Kondazian". Lincoln Alumni. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ Cuthbert, David. "'A Witch and a Bitch' to the rescue" . Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  6. ↑ Pachelli, Nick. "Was Legendary Stagecoach Driver Charlie Parkhurst Gay or Trans?". The Advocate . Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  7. ↑ "1969 – 1979 Awards". Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  8. ↑ Koehler, Robert. "Working in L.A., Living Tennessee". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  9. ↑ Spindle, Les (November 9, 2004). "Focus on the Ovation Awards: Ovation Prognostications". Backstage . Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "Review: The Whip". The Historical Novel Society. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Author Karen Kondazian Discusses Her New Book 'The Whip'". KCAL9. July 20, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  13. ↑ Boller, Reiner (November 2, 2009). "Karen Kondazian". Lex-Barker.com. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  14. ↑ Isherwood, Charles (September 22, 2005). "Planting Big Wet Ones on the Face of Cuba". The New York Times . Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  15. ↑ "A Good Read: The Whip". CBS . Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Author Karen Kondazian Discusses Her New Book 'The Whip'". CBS. July 20, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Fiction Reviews, November 1, 2011". Library Journal. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  18. ↑ "BookRadio Show Premieres in Santa Monica". MediaBistro. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  19. ↑ "2014 Readers Favorite Award Contest Winners".
  20. ↑ "2013 Global Ebook Awards Winners". August 18, 2013.
  21. ↑ "The USA Best Book Awards (2012 Winners)". USA Book News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  22. ↑ "WINNERS OF THE 2013 AWARDS!". National Indie Excellence Award. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  23. ↑ "2013 International Book Awards". International Book Awards. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
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