Playing It Straight: How the Leads of ‘Beyond Therapy’ Navigate Long Island’s Ultimate Blind Date

Modern dating is an absolute minefield. Whether you are swiping through apps in 2026 or scouring the classified section for personal ads in 1979, the anxiety of meeting a stranger for a blind date is a universal rite of passage.

This July, Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island is bringing that exact raw, nerve-wracked energy to the stage at the BACCA Arts Center with Christopher Durang’s hit farcical comedy, Beyond Therapy.

At the center of the chaos are Bruce and Prudence—two deeply complex, beautifully neurotic individuals desperately searching for love, sanity, and a decent therapist. We sat down with the production’s lead actors, Michael Goodwin and Elise Siegel, to find out exactly how they are bringing these eccentric characters to life.

Michael Goodwin on Finding Bruce’s Earnestness (and Narcissism)

Juggling a budding romance from a personal ad while actively living with a male lover, Bob (Adam Weinstock), Bruce could easily slide into a one-dimensional stereotype. For Michael Goodwin, the secret to mastering the role was stripping away the theatricality and leaning into the truth of the situation.

“I play him like a normal person,” Goodwin says plainly. “You don’t need to be a caricature for things to be real. Play it straight and it works better. They are real people.”

Goodwin, who utilizes a self-described “John Lithgow approach” to the craft—fully immersing himself in the character’s psyche to dictate his reactions—unlocked a hilarious, specific key to Bruce’s personality during rehearsals with Jenn Rinaldi, who plays his wacky therapist, Charlotte.

“We decided that Bruce is a narcissist,” Goodwin laughs. “So working with Jenn has been fun because I’m honestly not paying attention to her unless she is talking to Bruce about Bruce.”

When it comes to sharing the stage with Elise Siegel, Goodwin credits director Julie Lorson with meticulously crafting the comedic tension that defines their characters’ first interaction.

“Our director Julie is very big on awkward pauses,” Goodwin notes. “She will yell at us if we break the pause too soon! In our first scene we are very awkward. But then in our second scene the ice begins to thin. I hope it’s evident of our growth throughout the play.”

Elise Siegel on Prudence’s Relatable Neuroses

Prudence is caught in a relentless psychological tug-of-war. Her overly macho therapist, Stuart (Alex Rich), is aggressively pushing her to be more assertive, yet she keeps finding herself swallowed whole by bizarre dating scenarios. For Elise Siegel, stepping into Prudence’s shoes felt deeply personal.

“I relate a lot to Prudence’s character,” Siegel shares. “We have spent a lot of time developing our characters, so I know how Prudence would react in each moment. One of the things that Stuart and I discuss is how I don’t know what I want. By the end of the play, I think it’s clear that Prudence still doesn’t know what she wants.”

Mastering Durang’s famously rapid-fire, sharp dialogue requires a balance of comedic timing and emotional heavy lifting. Siegel insists that Prudence is far more than just a collection of nervous tics.

“Despite her being a bit neurotic—I mean, who hates vanilla ice cream?—I find her extremely relatable. We always have self-doubts and always have anxieties about things. But she’s not one-dimensional. She grows a lot throughout the play.”

From 1979 Personal Ads to 2026 Dating Apps

Though Beyond Therapy is firmly set in 1979, the cast is confident that Long Island theatregoers will see their own modern dating horror stories reflected perfectly on stage.

“The show is really funny and everyone could use a good laugh,” Siegel says. “Even though this is set in 1979, the problems of meeting someone ‘blind’ via personal ad are exactly the same as meeting people online today.”

The Cast at a Glance

• Bruce: Michael Goodwin
• Prudence: Elise Siegel
• Charlotte: Jenn Rinaldi
• Stuart: Alex Rich
• Bob: Adam Weinstock
• Andrew: Ben Boccio

Catch the Show at BACCA Arts Center

Beyond Therapy runs for seven performances across three weekends this July at the BACCA Arts Center (149 N. Wellwood Ave, Babylon, NY 11704).

• Weekend 1: Saturday, July 11th @ 8:00 PM (Opening Night) | Sunday, July 12th @ 2:00 PM
• Weekend 2: Friday, July 17th @ 8:00 PM | Saturday, July 18th @ 8:00 PM | Sunday, July 19th @ 2:00 PM
• Weekend 3: Saturday, July 25th @ 8:00 PM | Sunday, July 26th @ 2:00 PM (Closing Performance)

Tickets can be purchased directly online by visiting the official Modern Classics Theatre Company website.