The Catskill Chronicle

Tanya Cohen as Molly Calvin and Bill Moloney as Grant Lerner reveal their relationship.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

JEFFERSONVILLE – “The Bellflower Sessions,” a highly quirky and intriguingly convoluted story of a self-proclaimed victim of life who seeks help from a rather unbalanced psychiatrist in the guise of Dr. Wendy Bellflower is a play in two riveting acts by Andy Bloch, formerly known as Rooster Mitchell.

On Saturday, November 21, the staged reading of Bloch’s work was debuted before close to 50 folks at Samba Café on the main drag in town, under the artistic direction of Tim Corcoran, one of the founders of NYC’s famed 29th Street Rep.

Forbes Match as Jack Calvin and Tanya Cohen as Molly Calvin in a moment of marital discord.

The reading featured soap opera star Forbes March as Jack Calvin, Tanya Cohen in the role of Molly Calvin, Paula Ewin as Dr. Bellflower, Bill Moloney as Grant Lerner and Thelonoius Johnson in the portrayal of Derek Coles.

March first began acting in Vancouver, where he landed his first series, “Northwood,” and then rapidly moved on to a career in modeling, doing print work for Armani, Tommy H., and Marlboro Clothing. He quit the role of a high-end clothes horse to attend the prestigious Lee Strasberg Acting Institute, followed by his first big acting role as Scott Chandler on ABC’s daytime soap opera “All My Children”. Then came a role in the indie film “Campfire Stories”, the portrayal of Jesse Kilmartin on the Canadian TV sci-fi series “Mutant X”, and a brief stint as Nash Brennan on ABC’s “One Life to Live”. In July 2009, March originated the character of Mason Jarvis on “As the World Turns,” a daytime drama series.

Asked his take on Jack Calvin, “an angry, unhappily married victim of the recession,” March replied, “I still don’t have an answer to describe the character…he’s trying extremely hard to keep it together when everything around him is falling apart. He’s desperately seeking order, and everywhere he goes to find order, he finds more anarchy which eventually pushes him over the edge.”

Tanya Cohen is partners with her spouse Ken as owners of the Janice Center in Jeffersonville, where she is also musical director.

At the age of ten Cohen began performing in several local groups such as the Callicoon Center Band, the Livingston Manor Band, the Sullivan Symphonic Band, later branching out to the Orange County Orchestra and the Northeast Music Festival. Over the last decade, Cohen has been active in theatre, appearing in “The Lamb,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “A Shayna Maidel” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” Not content with ‘the boards,’ her film credits include “The Food Chain,” “Four Deadly Reasons,” Nickelodeon and a Mariah Carey documentary.

Forbes March as Jack Calvin and Paula Ewin as Dr. Wendy Bellflower, along with Tanya Cohen as Molly Calvin and Bill Maloney as Grant Lerner.

Paula Ewin is a graduate of the William Esper Studio in the city, and a founding member and long time player in the acting ensemble of the award-winning Off Broadway theatre company 29th Street Rep, where she has performed leading roles in over 27 New York and World Premier productions since 1988.

In additions to numerous theatre and television credits, in 2000 Ewin produced and co-directed “Look Here! A Portrait of Sylvia Sleigh”, a documentary short profiling the life of the realist painter known for her male nudes and feminist contributions. In playwright Bill Nave’s epic “Necktie Breakfast”, she played a charming Southern Belle menaced by her abusive KKK husband in Depression era Kentucky.

Ewin is the recipient of an OOBR award for her performance in “Night of Nave”, the Irene ACTF Irene Ryan award for Excellence in Acting, and is listed in Who’s Who in American Women and Theatre World.

At present, the accomplished vocalist is touring with “Party of One,” a musical tribute to the immortal Julie London, which she showcased a couple of years ago to a wild reception at Samba Café.

Ewin is active in The Hive – The Women of 29th Street Rep, a re-invention
of the award-winning Off Broadway theatre. The Hive invites and provides artists with an environment of networking and resources for boundary-breaking projects in all mediums.

Tim Corcoran, artistic director, and founding member of the 29th Rep in NYC, introduces the staged reading.

Her view of portraying Dr. Bellflower?

“She’s a very intelligent psychiatrist, high strung, crazy, wacko, making a fortune…I don’t totally understand her, but she thrives on it. It’s heightened reality.”

Bill Maloney, A NYSP Trooper/BCI Investigator brought his fan club with him, as at the end when someone commented upon the earthy dialogue, a call was heard from the back of the house, “Spoken like a real Trooper.”

Moloney is an avid actor in his spare time, and recently appeared to rave reviews in the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center’s adaptation of “Inherit the Wind” opposite Norman Duttweiler in the leading roles.

Forbes Match as Jack Calvin and Thelonious “TJ” Johnson as Derek Coles.

Thelonoius Johnson, better known as T.J., was named after the famous American jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk by his father, a jazz musician and mother, an artist.

An actor, model and personal trainer with elite clients including CNN’s Anderson Cooper and celebrity hairstylist Roque Jiminez, as a model he has been featured in Vogue, Italia, Details, scoring the cover shot on Maximum Fitness. Acting highlights embody roles on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “One Life to Live” and “All My Children.” Named one of 2008’s Most Eligible Bachelors by “Extra,” T.J.’s most recent credit is being selected as the face of Capcom Viral Videos, a series of comedy viral videos promoting the popular video game Bionic Commando.

Valerie Mansi read the stage directions.

Valerie Mansi, stage director.

Mansi studied acting at HB Studio in NYC, and is a member of the Liberty Free Theatre, where she has appeared in “Goods & Guns,” “The Universal Wolf” and “Off the Wall,” along with “The Vagina Monologues” at Sullivan County Community College.

The playwright, Andy Bloch, is perhaps best known for his stage play “The Killer and the Comic,” while his follow up play, “Never the Same Rhyme Twice,” about four con women in a prison in upstate New York had successful runs in Chicago.
Later, they moved ‘in tandem’ to NYC’s 29th Street Rep, in an evening of one-acts Off Broadway called “Buffalo Bill: Two Brutal Comedies.”

Concoran said of “The Bellflower Sessions,” the play in two acts by Bloch, “This is a chance to bring something up here for a reading and get a little feedback, it’s never been read before…it has a dark undertone, it’s comedy noir.”

As one of the five founding actors of 29th Street Rep, he was the voice of Spiderman for Marvel Comics, appeared for eight years on “The Guiding Light”, and has acted from Maine to California. At the 28th Street Rep, he directed the first revival of Sam Shepard’s “Fool for Love,” which enjoyed a 19-week run of 122 performances, ranking as the company’s most successful production at the box office.

The NYC-based company’s motto is “29th Street Rep – Where Brutal Theatre Lives!” and this reputation carried over well to “The Bellflower Sessions,” as at times it’s pithy dialogue could have put a seasoned salty sea dog to shame.

To view more photos from A “Rooster” Crows at Samba Café visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.