Karen Kondazian

Karen Kondazian (born January 27, 1950) 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 (1950-01-27) January 27, 1950
Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma materSan Francisco State College
University of Vienna
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation
  • Actor
  • novelist
Years active1972–2016
Partner(s)Lex Barker (1972–1973)

Life and career
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

She won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award's Best Actress award for her role in the Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattoo 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

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
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Bare Knuckles Pamela Devlin
1981 Gangster Wars Mrs. Luciano
1981 Dream On!
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 Short film
2001 Beyond the City Limits Helena's Mother
2007 The Blue Hour Tello
2009 The Shift Sophia Direct-to-DVD

Television
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 Episode: "Aria for Don Aiuppo"
1990 Ferris Bueller Marjorie Ganesha Episode: "Ferris Bueller Can't Win"
1991 Locked Up: A Mother's Rage 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
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Zork Nemesis Female Patient #2 (Maria)

Theatre
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 Darnyasky 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
  • The Actors Encyclopedia of Casting Directors (2000)
  • The Whip (2012)[15][16][17][18]

Awards

Acting

Writing
  • 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]
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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. 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. 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. 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".
  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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