THE BLACK AND WHITE STAGE synopsis

LOGLINE

Zavier the Zebra and Onyx the Horse combine musical styles for a perfect blend.

PITCH

When Zavier the Zebra needs a duet partner, he does auditions to the point of exhaustion, only to meet Onyx, a black mare, an unlikely choice for him as a zebra. Then a gray stallion taunts the couple as they perform, saying that Zavier should have a zebra as a partner instead of a horse. A black and white situation, almost like piano keys, no one should be judged by their color. 

SYNOPSIS

The crowd calls to the stage of Zavier the Zebra, asking him to play them a jazzy tune. “Stripes” is known for his piano playing every Thursday night at the Black and White Stage on the banks of the Orange River in South Africa. Of course, one piano is not enough for Zavier; he plays two honky-tonk pianos at once with one hand over the other. The right hand plays the bass clef’s part on the piano to the left, and the left hand plays the treble’s part to the right. He wobbles on the piano bench with his black-and-white-striped legs stretched between the two pianos’ silver pedals. A fan from the crowd calls to Zavier as he played, pointing out that his stripes match the piano keys. By the end of the song, Zavier drips sweat onto the keys. Then he announces to the crowd that he needs a duet player. 

Because of his disappointment, Zavier stops looking for a duet partner. Now just with that, a black mare walks into the music studio, who insists that he doesn’t need a zebra duet partner, but maybe a black mare. He says he usually only works with zebras, admiring his sleek black and white stripes. She says that her name is Onyx, she plays classical piano, and she can keep up with his jazz licks any day of the week. After realizing that she is a jewel, he asks her to play him her best number, and he only has a few minutes. As Onyx sits down at the piano keys, she straightens her radiant mane before starting to play flawlessly. As the audition number ended, Zavier decides that he better take her as his duet partner before someone else does. She only smiles at him as he is transfixed on her beautiful eyes.

After he claims her as his, he asks her to play with him that night at the Black and White Stage. When the duo takes the stage that evening, the audience cheers and applauds. However, a gray stallion in the audience chides that he should have a zebra as a partner, not a black mare. The stallion throws a big fat tomato on the front of the stage. It splats everywhere, landing on Onyx’s mane. With more dignity than most horses, she wipes it from herself and quietly decides to be the better horse. Another zebra from the crowd insists that the gray stallion stop saying such cruel things. A white horse insists that the gray stallion be escorted out of the building. With that, the crowd removes the gray stallion out of the Black and White Stage as the concert starts. Onyx has the opening number, an original classical piece that she has written by herself, and Zavier backs her up. Before the evening is over, Zavier and Onyx play the best duets that anyone has ever heard along the Orange River. The crowd rocks and rolls to the jazzy honky-tonk licks and sways and dips to the classical passages. Zavier tells Onyx that their performance should teach the crowd not to judge a zebra or a horse by his or her coat. Onyx kisses Zavier on the cheek and says it’s only black and white, no different than this piano.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters