Biography Archives - Karen Kondazian

‘Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.’

By Karen Kondazian on November 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

The suffragette movement protesting against Woodrow Wilson in front of The White House, 1917

As the time for our right to vote as Americans approaches, we thought we’d share the stories of some extraordinary and courageous women in U.S. history… who exercised their right as citizens of this country, defied authority in order to make their voices heard — and defended the 1^st Amendment of our Constitution regardless of the consequences.

Women were not given the right to vote until 1920. But in 1917, 33 women were jailed for protesting in front of the White House. They were beaten, abused, and tortured because of their decision to defy the government and stand for their beliefs that women were equal to men and had the same right to place a mark on the ballot! Their resilience and bravery during their time in prison gives testament to women’s ability to overcome any and all obstacles that stand in their way.

The infamous “Night of Terror” on November 15, 1917, claimed many victims from the suffragette movement to the unspeakable horrors at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia.

Filed Under: Biography, History Tagged With: 1917, Alice Paul, America, Berthe Arnold, civil rights, Constitution, Dora Lewis, Edith Ainge, elections, Helena Hill Weed, history, Lucy Burns, Night of Terror, November 6th, Pauline Adams, politics, polls, suffragettes, Vote, Watchfire demonstrations, White House, women, women in history, women's party, Women's Rights, Woodrow Wilson

Lillian Smith: The Champion California Huntress

By Karen Kondazian on October 28, 2012 1 Comment

Portrait of Lillian Smith

Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show was a staple of Old West entertainment during the 1800s and featured many of the era’s famous sharpshooters and pioneers, such as Annie Oakley, James “Wild Bill” Hickok, and Calamity Jane herself. However, the youngest ever to join Buffalo Bill’s troupe of performers was a brassy California teen by the name of Lillian Smith… who would then become Annie Oakley’s strongest female rival.

Born Lillian Frances Smith in Colville California, she was the quintessential tomboy at age 7 (when, growing bored with playing with dolls, she asked her father for a rifle to play with instead). By age 10, she was nearly unbeatable and her father bet $5000.00 to anyone that could surpass little Lillian’s shooting. Buffalo Bill was touring in California at this time, and discovered the girl prodigy, inviting her along to be a part of his troupe at the mere age of 15 and naming her “The Champion California Huntress.”

A young Lillian with a Stevens Tip-Up Rifle

Filed Under: Biography, History Tagged With: 1800, Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill Cody, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Calamity Jane, California, Colville, famous women, Grand American Handicap, guns, history, Lillian Smith, London, Prince Edward, Princess Wenona, Queen Victoria, rifle, shot, shotgun, spotlight, The CHampion California Huntress, Western, women in history

Women in History: Calamity Jane

By Karen Kondazian on October 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

A legend like Charley Parkhurst is hard to come by — but Calamity Jane was certainly legendary in her own right. There has been plenty of speculation and unsubstantiated rumors about Martha Jane Canary — some of it straight from her own account. The city of Deadwood recognizes her as quite a storyteller, but historians agree that some of Canary’s exploits and accomplishments are indeed based on pure, undisputed facts. Below are some true stories about Calamity Jane that you may be surprised to find out:

1. Martha Jane Canary (or Cannary) was born to Robert and Charlotte Cannary, the oldest of six siblings, in Princeton, Missouri. Her mother died of pneumonia during a wagon-train move to Virginia City, Montana — and her father died soon after moving the family to Salt Lake City, Utah. Martha Jane, now in charge of her brothers and sisters, packed up the children on the Union Pacific Railroad and settled in Piedmont, Wyoming.

2. Martha Jane was not an educated girl. She was illiterate and her knowledge was mostly based on survival skills. During her time traveling with the caravan from Missouri to Montana, she was often in the company of the party hunters, from whom she learned how to ride horses, shoot, and hunt for herself.

Filed Under: Biography, Blog, Charley Parkhurst Tagged With: Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, Cheyenne, Deadwood, Fort Laramie, Fort Russell, history, Martha Jane Canary, Missouri, Montana, Mount Moriah Cemetery, old west, PRinceton, Salt Lake City, South Dakota, stagecoach, Virginia City, Western, western frontier, Wild Bill Kickok, Wild West Show, Wyoming, Yellowstone River

When Karen Met Tennessee

By Karen Kondazian on September 9, 2012 Leave a Comment

Not many people are aware of the friendship between Karen Kondazian and playwright Tennessee Williams.

Karen and Tennessee Williams

Kondazian would win many awards portraying the powerful, complex women Williams had created. As Serafina in The Rose Tattoo, she won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, portraying the secluded widow in the 1978/1979 revival at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. That February evening in ’79 when Williams attended the production, a young Christopher Reeve was in the audience, along with the great film director Richard Brooks (Sweet Bird of Youth, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) who had directed two of Williams most famous films but had never met Tennessee in the flesh, until that evening.

Karen and Ed Harris in “Sweet Bird of Youth”

Tennessee gave a Q&A after the performance and was quoted in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner by reviewer Gardner McKay, thanking Karen for her “staggeringly beautiful performance”. Williams was so smitten by Karen’s performance in Tattoo, that the two became close friends, giving Karen his blessing to produce any of his plays during his lifetime. As a result, she went on to portray Princess Kosmonopolis in Sweet Bird of Youth (1980). Starring with her was a brilliant young actor named Ed Harris. She also acted and produced in the west coast premier of Williams’ Vieux Carre (1983), alongside the extraordinary Ray Stricklyn, who later took his character Mr. Nightingale from the play and created the memorable, award-winning one man show playing Tennessee Williams.

Filed Under: Audio, Biography, Blog, Interview, Karen Kondazian, News/Press, The Whip Tagged With: Christopher Reeves, Ed Harris, Fountain Theater, Gardner McKay, Hollywood, Karen Kondazian, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Night of the Iguana, Orpheus Descending, playwright, quote, Ray Stricklin, Richard Brooks, Simon Levy, Sweet Bird of Youth, Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here ANymore, The Rose Tattoo, theater, Vieux Carre

Emerson’s Essays: Literary Echoes

By Karen Kondazian on April 9, 2012 Leave a Comment

“Be true to your own act, and congratulate yourself if you have done some thing strange and extravagant, and broken the monotony of a decorous age. It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, ‘Always do what you are afraid to do.’ A simple manly character need never make an apology…” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

It was perhaps these words by renowned thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson that gave Charley Parkhurst that push towards the West, disguising herself as a man and leaving her past behind. Letting go of all fear, the townspeople’s gossip in Rhode Island, the pain of losing her family; it only fueled her desire to do something – anything – with her life, for herself, without having to apologize for it.

Emerson’s independent thinking was thought revolutionary and risqué during that time, as was no doubt Charley’s preferred lifestyle. Published from 1841 through 1844 in two volumes, Emerson’s Essays brings together a collection of the philosopher’s most popular and sensational idealistic concepts, including the Over-Soul, where he details the individual Self as part of a universal All. Accused of atheism for these notions, Emerson wasn’t taking away power from the “One True God” Catholicism believed, but was rather giving humankind a transcendental power in return; perhaps giving society more credit than it was due in his time.

Filed Under: Biography, Charley Parkhurst, The Whip Tagged With: Charley Parkhurst

Karen Kondazian Remembers her Fiancee Lex Barker

By abadmin on December 19, 2011 1 Comment

Interviews with Travelling Companions

An interview with Karen Kondazian

by Reiner Boller

Karen Kondazian

Karen was both friend and companion to Lex Barker during his last days. They met at a Hollywood party in the winter of 1972 when Karen attended the event together with Lex’ good friend Bill Orr. It was love at first sight. During the months leading up to Barker’s death, Karen Kondazian frequently accompanied him. She also travelled to Canada with him at the end of April 1973 before both went to New York City. On the fateful day of 11 May 1973, Karen Kondazian was at Lex Barker’s side.

Karen Kondazian, born in Boston, Massachusetts, is probably best known for her skillful depictions of Tennessee Williams’ female characters. However, she has also acted in movies and television shows, produced stage plays, taught acting students and created a name for herself as an author (her book The Actor’s Encyclopedia of Casting Directors, which contains interviews with Hollywood’s best casting directors, became a best-seller).

Filed Under: Biography, Interview, Karen Kondazian

Karen Kondazian

By abadmin on November 4, 2011 Leave a Comment

An award winning Actress, Author and Journalist

Karen Kondazian’s career as an actor, author and journalist is as diverse as it is long. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. At the age of eight Karen was chosen to be one of the infamous children on Art Linkletter’s “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” The opportunity to miss school during tapings was all it took for Karen to abandon her life’s goal of becoming a CIA spy and focus on acting.

She completed her schooling at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), The University of Vienna and San Francisco State University, where she received her B.A., after which she began her acting career in New York. Her first professional work was in the award winning production of Michael Cacoyannis’ The Trojan Women at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

In 1979, she won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in The Rose Tattoo, (in which her work as actor and producer so impressed Tennessee Williams that they became friends and he gave her carte blanche to produce any of his work in his lifetime).

Filed Under: Biography Tagged With: Karen Kondazian Bio