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| By Aimee Teplitskiy |
The play The Psychic Café, by Anthony
Fusco, delves into the idea that perhaps we let fortune telling, and our
obsession with always moving forward, dictate how we live our lives. The
protagonist, Anthony Fontana, lives his life strictly by his tarot cards. If it
is in the cards, it must be so. He allows psychic readings to dictate his every
decision, and in doing so, he renders himself blind to the things going on
around him.
But Anthony is not alone in making this
mistake. In fact, finding a balance between this cultural aspect of our society
and the reality of the world around us is a struggle we all face. Take Nancy Reagan
for example. The former First Lady is
known to have used an astrologer as a consult in very significant affairs
during her husband’s presidency including the timing of the Presidential
debates, military tactics, as well the date of his cancer treatment. Considering
the fact that Nancy Reagan had so much pull in the White House, this could
arguably be an inappropriate decision on her part. Should she really have
allowed astrology to dictate the decisions that were made by the White House?
Even looking beyond literal psychic
readings, we face the struggle of future versus present in the scientific field
as well. In the advanced, technological age we live in today scientists are
constantly striving to uncover what the future holds, and in doing so, to
prevent diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. Gene mapping, the process of
identifying the genes present in peoples’ DNA, is becoming a growing field of
interest in the medical world. People want to be able to know the diseases that
are embedded in their DNA, and that have a potential of being triggered in the
future. In theory, gene mapping would help prevent the development of many
hereditary diseases, and would also give scientists the ability to learn more
about getting rid of these diseases altogether. However, if gene mapping is
made more accessible, we need to consider the question of how will this affect
the way we live in the present?
This is a concern that many different
professionals have expressed on the topic of gene mapping. We need to consider
how gene mapping results might affect patients’ mentalities, and if this
process should be made accessible to the public in the face of these risks. But
at the same time, how can we deny people the right to know what potentially
lies in their future?
I think that The Psychic Café has
a very in depth way of portraying how much we let fear and anticipation of the
future shape our life choices. I think too often we worry about how what we do
will affect us later on, and do not stop to consider how much we are missing
out on when always airing on the side of caution. We need to understand the
importance of finding the balance between thinking ahead, and still enjoying
the present moment. And the next time you sit down for a tarot card reading ask
yourself: How much should we let the future dictate what we do in the present?
Let us
know what you think below!!
The
Psychic Café will be playing in the
Strawberry One-Act Festival on July 14 (Thursday) at 9PM, July 16 (Saturday) at
5PM, July 17 (Sunday) at 3PM. The performance will take place at the Theatre at
St. Clement’s at 423 West 46th Street,
NYC, between 9th and
10th avenue. Tickets
can be purchased online at www.therianttheatre.com.
PSYCHIC
CAFÉ by
Anthony Fusco
A
flamboyant NYC psychic hires an assistant to draw in new business. The new guy
has no idea what he’s in for until he meets the quirky clients who reveal the
most bizarre, over-the-top secrets.
Thursday,
July 14th at 9pm
Saturday,
July 16th at 5pm
Sunday,
July 17th at 3pm
For
tickets go to https://www.therianttheatre.com/item.php?id=252
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