Anxious Perception

Kelly Dixon, a young woman in her late 20’s, waits in the lobby of a theater to audition for a musical. After receiving a call from her mother, Susan, and talking to her on speaker phone, Kelly agonizes and speaks to Shaun, her husband. After relaying her anxieties to him, she reiterates how she remembered the phone call she just had with Susan, painting it in a negative and antagonistic light in which Susan tears her down and condescends to her.

Afterward, Shaun tells Kelly how he remembers the phone call, indicating that he viewed Susan as being less antagonistic and more willing to support Kelly. Shaun believes that Susan is trying to connect to Kelly better. Afterward Kelly reminisces on a childhood memory she has, and a flashback is shown of the first time Kelly tried to speak to her mother about music.

In the flashback, Kelly recalls that her mom was unsupportive of Kelly’s dreams of pursuing a music career, and Kelly took those words in a way that nipped her passion for music in the bud. Shaun comforts Kelly, telling her that she never needed to live the way her mom expected her to. He then tells her that he will always be there for her whenever she takes another step in following her dreams.

Finally, Kelly enters the audition space. She takes a deep breath, sees Shaun watching her with a smile, and finally makes the conscious effort to fight her anxiety and sing. The film cuts to black as she begins to sing.