Sohale Dezfoli and Nicholas Begnaud’s short film knows what it takes for anonymous actors to nail that open casting call. It’s that Main Character Energy. Brian (Mark Prendergast) is an actor with an emphasis on “struggling” who is on yet another in a series of too many casting calls. Feeling hopeful, Brian asks fellow auditioner Lizzie (Taylor Joree Scorse) to rehearse with her. Mark is reading for the role of Jordan…the same role as Taylor. Is Jordan male or female? Why doesn’t anyone in the room know?
Before Mark can get an answer, he’s called in to audition for the casting director…but for which role?
“Is Jordan male or female? Why doesn’t anyone in the room know?”
I love a comedy sketch that keeps me guessing, especially regarding the punchline, and Main Character Energy does that. The film quickly sets us Mark as an actor who has a shot at winning the lottery with that one good performance and must overcome challenge after challenge without appearing annoying to the always empathetic and sympathetic casting director (note sarcasm).
Though Main Character Energy starts as a fairly standard comedy sketch about the hell that is the audition room, there is a moment when lead actors Brian Scott and Lizzie Mason give a wonderfully brilliant performance. It’s dramatic in a backhanded comedic way, which leads to an ironic punchline.
I see a lot of comedy short, and the reason Main Character Energy stands out is in how we sympathize with the lead characters and go right along with their journey as the protagonists are pushed from one awkward situation to the next. Bravo!
"…pushed from one awkward situation to the next."
