Judy Seckler
GLENDALE -- Franck Beaulieu, 12, has felt the heat of the spotlight
and likes it a lot.
The Wilson Middle School student is wrapping up a run of "Beast on the
Moon," a play that opened in mid-August at the Fountain Theatre. The
final show is Dec. 10.
"I like the attention and the applause during the play," Franck said.
He plays an Italian orphan, Vincent, who is befriended by two Armenian
immigrants in Milwaukee. The immigrants, Aram and Seta, are orphans
themselves, having lost their parents to a Turkish massacre.
In one scene, Seta feeds the starving Vincent chocolate cake. The
actors use the real thing.
"I pig out with real cake every show," Franck said. "And I get to eat
with my hands."
He said he's gained two or three pounds since the show started, but he
can still fit into his pants.
For the audition, Franck had to prepare a dramatic monologue, which he
and his mother researched at the library. He made three visits to the
director before he was cast in the part.
Mom Susanna Molnar said her son had been acting a little more than a
year in food commercials, print ads and videos. He first became
interested in acting two years ago when a Hallmark commercial was filmed
in their home.
"He talked to the whole crew," Molnar said. "It was very intriguing to
him."
When Franck wanted to study acting, Molnar enrolled him at the Young
Actors Space in Van Nuys. Acting has made him less talkative and more
disciplined in the classroom, his mother said.
General admission to "Beast on the Moon" is $22. The Fountain Theatre
is at 5060 Fountain Ave. in Hollywood. For tickets, call (323) 663-1525.
