Beltran's Latest Project Mirrors His Career

Robert Beltran's latest project, a play entitled "The Big Knife," brings him the role of a successful actor whose career is impinging upon his personal life.

Though Beltran says he does not regret any choices in his own career, he does admit to feeling burned out after Voyager's run. "My enthusiasm for acting seemed dampened after seven years on television but now I'm all the way back," he said. But he has thrown himself into his latest project full force: "I love working on the stage. It's the reason I became an actor."

The play, written by Clifford Odets, focuses on the life of Charlie Castle, an actor whose career has thrived, though the roles he plays are trivial and empty. His career begins to take prescedence over his marriage, putting the latter in jeopardy. Castle also examines his life up to that point to find out just how he got to this place.

Beltran acknowledges that audiences might note similarities between him and Castle, but he allows the viewers to make up their minds. "If that's what they get, that's what they get," he said. "The play is not about Hollywood. It's about America. It's about a major force working against the individual." He does acknowledge a basic similarity between himself and the character: "Charlie Castle's personal workings got him to the place he is and my personal workings got me to the place where I am."

Beltran doesn't rule out a return to television or the big screen. "I'm a professional actor. I want to continue in all media," he said. Though he wants to continue to pursue theatre roles, he has been active in other media as well, recently recording a CD of Latino poetry.

"The Big Knife," opened on November 8th and will continue through December 14th. It currently plays Wednesday-Sunday at L.A.'s Lillian Theatre.

For more on Beltran, including his thoughts on classical theatre and Hollywood, read the full interview at Latino Weekly Review.

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