LOS ANGELES–Karen Kondazian, star of the Ovation Award-winning Fountain Theatre production of MASTER CLASS which earned Best Play honors and ran for eight months in Los Angeles, re-teams with director Simon Levy to headline the first Los Angeles production since 1978 of the rarely presented Tennessee Williams black comedy THE MILK TRAIN DOESN’T STOP HERE by special permission of the Williams estate. Previews begin September 15. The play opens September 28 with a limited six-week run ending November 4 at the Fountain Theatre located on 5060 Fountain Avenue in Los Angeles.
Set in a mountain-top Italian villa overlooking the Mediterranean, MILK TRAIN centers around the wealthy and outrageous Flora Goforth (Kondazian). While dictating her memoirs to her secretary, she is disrupted by the mysterious arrival of a handsome and charismatic young poet. Does he offer her one last chance at love and passion or is he the Angel of Death?
Early this year, Kondazian reprised her critically lauded role as Maria Callas with Levy as director for a sold out run of MASTER CLASS at the 600 seat Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. Prior to that she earned praise from New York critics for her starring role in the INTAR Theatre’s 2005 Off Broadway production of KISSING FIDEL, a new play written by Cuban playwright Eduardo Machado and directed by Michael John Garc?s at The Kirk Theatre on Theatre Row in Manhattan.
She is considered the foremost interpreter of Tennessee Williams’ leading ladies in Los Angeles theatre. Williams himself pronounced her portrayal of Serafina in THE ROSE TATTOO as “staggeringly beautiful” and for that performance she won the L. A. Drama Critics Circle Award. He was so impressed with her work as both an actor and producer, that he gave her carte blanche to produce his works during his lifetime. For the Fountain she has played Maxine in THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA (Back Stage West Garland award) and Lady in ORPHEUS DESCENDING (Ovation Award nomination); she has also played Alexandra del Lago (opposite Ed Harris) in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH and Mrs. Wire in VIEUX CARRE (L.A. Weekly award). She has appeared with Richard Chamberlain in RICHARD II (Ahmanson), with Stacy Keach in HAMLET (Mark Taper Forum) and in Mark Rydell’s TNT movie, JAMES DEAN. A lifetime member of the Actors Studio, she has studied with Lee Strasberg and Jose Quintero, and has authored a book titled The Actor’s Encyclopedia of Casting Directors.
The performance schedule is Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 pm, Sunday at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $25. Student and rush tickets are $18. Senior tickets are $23 on Thursdays and Sundays. Preview tickets are $15. Previews begin Saturday, September 15 at 8 pm and are scheduled for September 16, 17, 19, 20, 26 and 27th. Opening night is Saturday, September 28. For group tickets, please call 323-663-1365. For all other tickets, call 323-663-1525 or visit www.fountaintheatre.com.
