Karen Kondazian

{{Infobox person

| name = Karen Kondazian

| image = Karen Kondazian.jpg

| caption = Kondazian in 2012

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1941|1|27}}

| birth_place = Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = San Francisco State College (BA)
University of Vienna
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Actress
novelist

}}

| years_active = 1972–2016

| partner = Lex Barker
({{abbr|eng.|engaged}} 1972; died 1973)

}}

Karen Kondazian (born January 27, 1941) is an American actress and author.{{cite book|last=Riggs|first=Thomas|title=Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television|year=2001|publisher=Gale Group|isbn=0787646393|page=187|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KuFkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Karen+Kondazian%22}}{{cite web|title=New novel details legendary Watsonville woman's life|date= August 24, 2012|url= http://www.ksbw.com/article/new-novel-details-legendary-watsonville-womans-life/1285837|publisher=KSBW|accessdate=18 July 2013}} 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.

Life and career

File:Lex Barker Karen Kondazian May 1973.jpg, May 1973]]

Karen Kondazian was born in Newton, Massachusetts to an Armenian family. She attended Abraham Lincoln High School, received a B.A. from San Francisco State College, and graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.{{cite web |url=http://armeniandrama.weebly.com/karen-kondazian.html |title=Karen Kondazian |publisher=ADAA: Armenian Dramatic Arts Alliance |access-date=March 16, 2018}}{{cite web|title=Karen Kondazian|url=http://www.lincolnalumni.com/WallofFame/karenkondazian.html|publisher=Lincoln Alumni|accessdate=18 July 2013|archive-date=January 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131002844/http://www.lincolnalumni.com/WallofFame/karenkondazian.html|url-status=dead}} Kondazian began working in theater, starring in productions such as The Rose Tattoo and Master Class.{{cite web|last=Cuthbert|first=David|title='A Witch and a Bitch' to the rescue|url=http://blog.nola.com/davidcuthbert/2008/03/stage_business_witch_bitch_at.html|accessdate=18 July 2013|archive-date=May 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501093055/http://blog.nola.com/davidcuthbert/2008/03/stage_business_witch_bitch_at.html|url-status=dead}}

As a child, she appeared on Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things.{{cite magazine|last= Pachelli|first= Nick|title= Was Legendary Stagecoach Driver Charlie Parkhurst Gay or Trans? |url= http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/books/2013/03/08/was-legendary-stagecoach-driver-charlie-parkhurst-gay-or-trans |magazine=The Advocate|accessdate=7 October 2016}}

File:Tennessee_Williams_Karen_Kondazian_at_Rose_Tattoo_Play_1979.jpg

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).{{cite web|last=|first=|title=1969 – 1979 Awards|url=http://ladramacriticscircle.com/1969-1979-awards/|publisher=Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle|accessdate=7 October 2016|archive-date=May 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527172535/http://ladramacriticscircle.com/1969-1979-awards/|url-status=dead}} Kondazian met Williams at a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle luncheon honoring him, and Williams reportedly allowed Kondazian to produce any of his plays.{{cite news|last= Koehler |first= Robert |title= Working in L.A., Living Tennessee |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-20-ca-55707-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=7 October 2016}} She was also nominated for an Ovation Best Actress Award in Master Class.{{cite news |last=Spindle |first=Les |date=November 9, 2004 |title=Focus on the Ovation Awards: Ovation Prognostications |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/focus-ovation-awards-ovation-prognostications-21582/ |work=Backstage |access-date=March 16, 2018}}

File:Luciano Pavarotti Karen Kondazian 1981 wiki.jpg]]

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.{{cite interview |last= Kondazian |first= Karen |subject-link= Karen Kondazian |interviewer= Jan Wahl |title=Karen Kondazian interviewed on KRON 4 San Francisco with Jan Wahl |work= KRON 4 Morning News |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x98UEkF1g1s| publisher= KRON |location= San Francisco |date= June 14, 2012 }}{{cite web|last= |first= |title= Review: The Whip |url= https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-whip/ |publisher=The Historical Novel Society|accessdate=15 October 2016}}

Kondazian is a member of the Actors Studio and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.{{cite web|last= |first= |title= Author Karen Kondazian Discusses Her New Book 'The Whip' |date= July 20, 2012|url= http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/20/author-karen-kondazian-discusses-her-new-book-the-whip/|publisher=KCAL9|accessdate=7 October 2016}}

Personal life

Kondazian was in a relationship with actor Lex Barker from 1972 until his death on May 11, 1973. They were engaged.{{cite web |url=http://www.lex-barker.com/index.php?med=scr&lang=eng&menu=kondazian |title=Karen Kondazian |last=Boller |first=Reiner |date=November 2, 2009 |publisher=Lex-Barker.com |access-date=April 4, 2018}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| 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

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | 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=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| 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"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | 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=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1996 \| Zork Nemesis \| Maria, Female Patient #2 \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1996

| Zork Nemesis

| Maria, Female Patient #2

Theatre

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Venue ! class="unsortable" \| 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 \| {{cite news\|last=Isherwood\|first=Charles\|title=Planting Big Wet Ones on the Face of Cuba\|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/theater/reviews/22fide.html\|accessdate=18 July 2013\|newspaper=The New York Times\|date=September 22, 2005}}
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 \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Venue

! class="unsortable" | 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

| {{cite news|last=Isherwood|first=Charles|title=Planting Big Wet Ones on the Face of Cuba|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2005/09/22/theater/reviews/22fide.html|accessdate=18 July 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 22, 2005}}

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){{cite web|title=A Good Read: The Whip|url=http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/08/08/beach-read-the-whip/|publisher=CBS|accessdate=29 September 2012}}{{cite web|title=Author Karen Kondazian Discusses Her New Book 'The Whip'|date=July 20, 2012 |url=http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/20/author-karen-kondazian-discusses-her-new-book-the-whip/|publisher=CBS|accessdate=29 September 2012}}{{cite magazine|title=Fiction Reviews, November 1, 2011|url=http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/book/892263-421/fiction_reviews_november_1_2011.html.csp|magazine=Library Journal|accessdate=29 September 2012}}{{cite web|title=BookRadio Show Premieres in Santa Monica|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/tag/karen-kondazian|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128112949/http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/tag/karen-kondazian|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 January 2013|publisher=MediaBistro|accessdate=23 November 2012}}

Awards

=Acting=

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=

2014 Readers Favorite, Gold Medal Prize for Winner Best Western Fiction, The Whip{{cite web|title=2014 Readers Favorite Award Contest Winners|url=https://readersfavorite.com/2014-award-contest-winners.htm}}
2013 Global Ebook Awards, First Place - Winner Best Historical Fiction, The Whip{{cite web|title=2013 Global Ebook Awards Winners|date=August 18, 2013 |url=http://globalebookawards.com/2013-global-ebook-awards-winners/}}
USA Book News Award, Best Historical Fiction, The Whip (2012){{cite web|title=The USA Best Book Awards (2012 Winners)|url=http://www.usabooknews.com/2013usabestbookawards/2012usabestbookawards.html|publisher=USA Book News|accessdate=23 November 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101040406/http://www.usabooknews.com/2013usabestbookawards/2012usabestbookawards.html|archivedate=November 1, 2012|df=mdy-all}}
National Indie Excellence Award, Best Western, The Whip (2013){{cite web|title=WINNERS OF THE 2013 AWARDS!|url=http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2013-winners.htm|publisher=National Indie Excellence Award|accessdate=18 July 2013|archive-date=March 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321030025/http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2013-winners.htm|url-status=dead}}
International Book Award, Best Western, The Whip (2013){{cite web|title=2013 International Book Awards|url=http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2013awardannouncement.html|publisher=International Book Awards|accessdate=18 July 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801210243/http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2013awardannouncement.html|archivedate=August 1, 2013|df=mdy-all}}

References

External links

{{IMDb name|464875}}
{{Official website|http://www.karen-kondazian.com}}
{{Official website|http://www.thewhipnovel.com|The Whip Official website}}
[http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/20/author-karen-kondazian-discusses-her-new-book-the-whip/ KCAL9 Interviews Karen Kondazian]
[https://archive.today/20130127232541/http://www.ksbw.com/news/central-california/santa-cruz/New-novel-details-legendary-Watsonville-woman-s-life/-/5738976/16253132/-/qp8750/-/index.html?=22iiiii Karen Kondazian featured in ABC/NBC Monterey]

Category:1950 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American novelists

Category:American film actresses

Category:American television actresses

Category:Actresses from Los Angeles

Category:Actresses from Newton, Massachusetts

Category:Writers from Los Angeles

Category:Writers from Newton, Massachusetts

Category:American writers of Armenian descent

Category:San Francisco State University alumni

Category:University of Vienna alumni