Pen Jen's Inkwell

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

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.

OLD TIME RADIO HOUR synopsis

LOGLINE

What’s behind the curtain?

PITCH

When 10-year-old Rosalie Pinker isn’t invited to meet the guests on Uncle Frank Boyd’s “Old Time Radio Hour,” she sets out to figure out what is going on in his recording studio, only to find out that her uncle was faking the voices all along, and he never had any guests. He says he was only telling her what she wanted to hear to make her happy. As she gets older, she has her own national radio show with real guests and never fakes a thing.

SYNOPSIS

Uncle Frank Boyd runs his “Old Time Radio Hour” every Sunday night from the studio in his home. His niece, 10-year-old Rosalie Pinker, who is intrigued by the guests on his show, always tries to sneak on the set. This Sunday night is no different. Before she can whisk her way into the studio, the door slams shut. Returning to her house to listen to the show on the radio, she props her feet up on the sofa, turns on the living room radio, and positions a pillow behind her head. As Rosalie listens to the end of the show, she turns the radio off and runs next door back to Frank’s house. At the chance that she might meet one of the sensations leaving his home, she stands by the studio door.

For the next few weeks, Rosalie is so angry at Uncle Frank that he doesn’t let her meet the guests on his show, so she unplugs the radio and refuses to listen to one word of Uncle Frank’s “Old Time Radio Hour.” In fact, she sticks her fingers in her ears anytime she hears his voice. Instead, Rosalie starts to read. She loves a particular classic called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Then, after months pass, Rosalie finishes reading all fourteen full-length Oz books by the famous author. One morning, she sits up straight in bed and determines that she will get to the bottom of Uncle’s Frank “business.” After having toast with butter and jam for breakfast, Rosalie creates a plan to outsmart Uncle Frank. She buys a dog at the puppy shop just like Dorothy’s dog Toto in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and names him Scarecrow after Dorothy’s friend. She trains him to stick his tail in the studio door, so that when Uncle Frank tries to lock her out, she can slip in after she starts recording.

After coming back from the puppy shop with her new dog Scarecrow, Rosalie spends days training him to stick his tail in her bedroom door. As Rosalie walks down into her mother’s kitchen, Uncle Frank eats strawberry shortcake from a bowl, explaining how he has secured L. Frank Baum for his next radio show. When the author supposedly arrives, Uncle Frank pops his head out of the studio door as Rosalie holds Scarecrow in her arms, and he explains that Mr. Baum is so sorry, but he just can’t possibly speak to her with a dog. Then, she peers through the crack in the studio door, looking at an empty guest chair. Rosalie wonders where he went. As he turns to shut the studio door, Rosalie drops Scarecrow onto the ground, and he runs to stick his tail in the door. Rosalie puts her finger in front of her mouth, motioning to Scarecrow not to bark. Then, she puts her foot in the door. She slips through with Scarecrow in her arms and discovers that Uncle Frank has been faking the voices of the guests on his show. He says he thought he was making Rosalie happy. Rosalie runs out of the studio with Scarecrow and slams the door shut. Her mother stands at the kitchen door with tears in her eyes. As Rosalie gets older, she studies broadcasting and had her own national radio show every Sunday night with real guests.

MR. MIDNIGHT OWL synopsis

LOGLINE

A well-meaning owl chased by nasty park rangers gives unwanted advice to visitors at Yosemite National Park.

PITCH

Patience is a virtue, according to Mr. Midnight Owl, the resident sage of Yosemite National Park, who gives unsolicited wisdom to campers until two park rangers try to unsuccessfully capture him time and again.

SYNOPSIS

Mr. Midnight Owl is wide awake at midnight, sitting on the edge of a tree branch in the moonlight at Yosemite National Park. Each night, he tries to give advice to visiting campers, but of course, avoiding silly park rangers. Before Mr. Midnight Owl can decide which way to fly, a flashlight glares in his face and blinds him. Park Ranger Scott warns the Owl to stay away from the campers. The Owl is not supposed to disrupt the tourists’ sleep with unwanted advice in the middle of the night. As Mr. Midnight Owl flies away, he plops owl droppings like pellets on the park rangers’ heads, and Park Ranger George threatens to lock him up in a cage if he catches him. Before getting back in their beat-up truck, the park rangers scrape the owl droppings from their hair and shoulders. Then, they wash their hands in Tenaya Lake, wishing for some soap.

In the meantime, the Owl sets off on his nightly flybys, where he looks for camp guests in need of help. Even if the campers don’t know that they’re in need of help, he’s sure he can identify those people looking for advice. Watching the park rangers approach with big flashlights, a sleepy little girl takes pictures of the moment. The father explains to them that the Owl has been keeping them awake by talking about patience for the last few minutes. Park Ranger Scott throws a lasso around the Owl without the bird realizing that the rope was even in the dark air. Park Ranger George grabs Midnight by the feet, explaining that he was clearly saving the campers' lives by teaching about patience.

With that, the park rangers wrap the lasso around the Owl, put the Owl in an iron cage in the back of their truck, lock the door, and throw away the key, but Mr. Midnight Owl whispers that he is patient enough to get out of any situation. As the truck pulls away, the park rangers taunt the bird. When they aren’t looking, Mr. Midnight Owl uses his beak to chew through the lasso and unlock the door. He pushes the door open with his wings and flies out into the night sky. Park Ranger George spots Mr. Midnight Owl in the dark sky, wondering how he got out this time. Park Ranger Scott threatens to quit if the Owl doesn’t stop tormenting them with his wisdom. Both park rangers decide that if they can only have patience, they will eventually catch the Owl, even if it’s not tonight.

HAPPY SNAIL synopsis

LOGLINE

The happiest snail is sometimes the slowest.

PITCH

When Happy Snail has to move across town, he does it his way. He moves at his own speed, makes new friends, and watches the clouds, even if his family makes fun of him for his slow pace. Who cares how fast you move in life, as long as you’re happy and enjoying every step!

SYNOPSIS

Happy Snail, the slowest of all the snails in his large family, loves to smell the springtime flowers and warm himself in the sunshine, waddling with his big shell. Even when it rains, he enjoys the tender rain drops on his tongue and washes his tiny body. In the winter freeze, he hides in the crevices of the garden, hibernating underneath a layer of slime. Now that it is spring, he is happier than ever, ready for summer and all the joy with it. More than anything, Happy Snail likes to watch the clouds, watching for a cloud that looks just like him. Despite all Happy’s kind rebuttals to his family, Meany threatens him that the Gardener who runs the garden is moving it across town, and Happy will be too slow to ever make it to the new garden. Happy says he will enjoy every minute of making his way to the new garden, and he’ll make new friends. As the days go by, the Gardener plucks Happy Snail’s favorite flowers, and he moves across town. Happy just decides to enjoy the journey, watching his entire family creep past him in the grass.

The Snail family ridicules Happy as he tries to make his way to the garden, saying summer will be over by the time he gets to the new garden, but Happy Snail has never been happier, dilly-dallying across town at his own speed. He bumps into his friend Mr. Sloth, watching the clouds, and asks him if he wants to come with Happy to the new garden. As Happy Snail and Mr. Sloth make their way across town, Giant the Tortoise catches up to them. He wants to come to the new garden, too. He says he hopes he can keep up and not get lost. Then the Tortoise joins the group, pointing out that Happy Snail’s family is not that much quicker than they are, creeping only a few inches in front of them. Let them think what they want if they are happy, Happy Snail says. He knows they never notice the clouds or make new friends. They’re trying to be so much faster than everyone, but they’re missing out on what makes them special. All of a sudden, Koala the Bear decides to the join the pack, because he thinks if you’re slow, you might as well love being slow. Slug the Slowest agrees, acknowledging that speed doesn’t do him any good—even if he’s on time, he’s still late. Of course, American Woodcock, the world’s slowest bird, fit right in with the Happy Snail. He loves being himself, and no one is really like him.

By the time Happy Snail, Mr. Sloth, Giant the Tortoise, Koala the Bear, Slug the Slowest, and American Woodcock made it across town to the new garden, they become the best of friends, finding each other’s faces in the clouds. The Snail family, of course, only arrives to the garden a few moments before Happy Snail and his sidekicks. However, they have no new friends and have missed out on the spectacular cloud show in the mid-day sky. Meanwhile, Happy Snail is happier than ever. If the Gardener hadn’t moved the garden, he would have never grown to love his new group of friends. He asks them to never walk faster than he does, because he needs all of them with him forever.

BOOK NOOK synopsis

LOGLINE

Zig Zag the Worm and Wooly Bear the Caterpillar get better with time like fine literature.

PITCH

When Wooly Bear the Caterpillar has to enter a cocoon to become Monarch the Butterfly in a French castle among many books, his friend Zig Zag the Worm stands by waiting for his transformation only to fly off into the distance together on Monarch’s new wings.

SYNOPSIS

Zig Zag the worm, who lived in the Book Nook hidden in the corner of the library in an abandoned French castle near the Rhine River, likes to worm his way through fine literature. Although there is an entire castle to explore, Zig Zag crawls through volumes of the world’s best stories. He has become an expert in kings and queens, princesses and knights, witches and ghosts, and even fairy elves. Along with fiction, he reads theses in education, health, science, the Arts, world history, and politics. One day, a fuzzy caterpillar named Wooly Bear wiggles its way into the library and opens The Encyclopedia of Butterflies. Wooly Bear asks Zig Zag how it is possible that he will one day be a butterfly. Zig Zag puts on his reading spectacles and scrunches his nose, paging through The Encyclopedia. Zig Zag explains that it seems like he enters a cocoon as a cave or sorts, and then he emerges, coming out with brightly colored wings. All of the fuzziness on the Caterpillar’s skin stood on edge, listening to the Worm, and the Caterpillar could not even feel his body, dreading the process of becoming new.

During the winter chill, Wooly Bear Caterpillar makes its home in The Encyclopedia of Butterflies. Despite all odds, it snuggles up against pictures of what it would one day become—a lovely butterfly. Zig Zag tells Wooly Bear he hopes to see him in the springtime, and Wooly Bear says that when he sees him to call him by his new name: Monarch the Butterfly. Wooly Bear’s cocoon grows sticky and quite uncomfortable for the Caterpillar, even when he’s not sleeping. Great magic goes on inside the cocoon, which the Worm has never read about in the pages of the Book Nook.

The Worm talks to the cocoon, wishing he could become a butterfly, too. He is so sad that he is aging, and his skin is drying up, and he wishes he could also become new. Of course, Monarch did hear Zig Zag and didn’t want him to die. When springtime approaches, one day the owner of the castle returns for its annual spring cleaning. He tromps and stomps all throughout the Book Nook, straightening the novels and making dust clouds. The Worm hides from the dustpan, knowing that Monarch has to make it out of the cocoon before he’s squashed in the cleaning. Zig Zag pushes The Encyclopedia of Butterflies under a large red curtain by the tall window and he tries to unravel the cave-like womb, asking Monarch to come out of the cocoon now. He warns him that the owner of the deserted castle has come back and is in danger of killing the soon-to-be-butterfly. Breaking lose from the cocoon, Monarch spreads his wings in an attempt to save his own life, as well as the Worm. The beautiful orange and black butterfly swoops out of the cocoon and grabs the Worm with its wing. Zig Zag and Monarch fly off into the sunset until they find a new home, a castle with many cocoons.

THE CHRISTMAS TOY SOLDIER synopsis

LOGLINE

Keeping the peace has never been so dangerous than at Christmas!

PITCH

When Miles Osborne, the Friendly Toy Soldier, loses his job as a security guard at the Toymaker’s Shop in New York City, the manager insists that the company doesn’t need his skills anymore. After all, there has been nothing but peace in the store for years. However, as soon as the neighborhood finds out that the Soldier is fired, hoodlums plot to destroy the store on Christmas Eve until the irreplaceable soldier saves the toy store from looting and arson.

SYNOPSIS

The Friendly Toy Soldier, whose real name is Miles Osborne, is trying to keep the peace by standing in the doorway of the Toymaker’s Shop. It’s the most famous toy store in New York City. Dressed in his soldier outfit, he makes sure that the customers in the store behave and do not fight or quarrel with anyone. He does such a good job that nothing dangerous ever happens in the store. However, Mr. Cartwright, the store manager, tells him that the store is letting him go. According to Mr. Cartwright, nothing bad ever happens in a store full of kids, and the salary for the soldier is a waste of money. The soldier’s last night will be Christmas Eve. As the Friendly Toy Soldier fights back tears, he finds the courage to say that he understands. Then, he looks across the store full of ungrateful strangers that he has been protecting.

When word gets out that the customers have heard of the soldier’s departure, Bubba Joe and Brother Jim, two of the worst hoodlums in the neighborhood, happen to find out. Without anyone knowing, they plot to ruin Christmas. They plan to loot the store and burn it down. When Christmas Eve arrives, the Friendly Toy Soldier feels sadder than he lets the customers know. He has no idea where to find another job. Even still, the soldier keeps his chin up and tries to be thankful for the opportunities that he has had for years in the heart of New York City.

On Christmas Eve since the soldier is the last one in the store, he decides to spend the night. The Friendly Toy Soldier bides his time and shuffles toys back to their shelves. Then, he locks the front door behind everyone, sits down in Santa Claus’ armchair, and watches the lights on the store Christmas tree flicker in the darkness. As the Friendly Toy Soldier falls asleep on the armchair, someone throws a rock through the front store window. He grabs his real gun from beneath his jacket and sounds the store alarm, which notifies the police of a burglary. Then, Bubba Joe and Big Jim jump through the broken window with giant flaming torches. The Friendly Toy Soldier aims his gun at them as they loot the store of toys. He tries to delay them until the police arrive. Then, he grabs the water hose on the toy store fire engine and douses the torches before Bubba Joe and Big Jim can burn anything. With that, the New York City Police Department arrives and arrests Bubba Joe and Big Jim for a memorable Christmas behind bars. A squad of police cars with loud sirens and K9 police dogs fills the streets. By morning, Miles, the Friendly Toy Soldier, is the Christmas hero of the nation, the defender of Fifth Avenue in New York City. He also keeps his job for years to come, keeping the peace for adults and children everywhere.

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD HOUSE synopsis

LOGLINE

A gingerbread man named Cinnamon helps a young girl find her way home by Christmas morning.

PITCH

When 12-year-old Nicola Claire feels invisible, she dreams that she shrinks into the gingerbread house that she's making on Christmas Eve. A shrunken Nicola then can’t find her way home from the dream. However, a gingerbread man named Cinnamon suggests that she eat the gingerbread house to return home. With each morsel, she grows in stature and tries to avoid the looming cats. She eventually eats the entire house and Cinnamon himself, only to return to her mother's kitchen table with the angel-like Christkind who gives her a stuffed gingerbread man named Cinnamon, her new best friend.

SYNOPSIS

Twelve-year-old Nicola Claire must make her gingerbread house before she goes to sleep on Christmas Eve. She lives in Nuremberg, Germany, “The Gingerbread Capital of the World.” Although her mom wants her to go to bed, she sneaks back into the kitchen to finish her project. As Nicola places candy pieces artistically on the house as a creative masterpiece, she says how much she’d like to live in the gingerbread house. Nicola never feels like her mother understands her. She always tries to be good enough, but it never seems to be what her mother wants. Her father divorced her mother a few years ago. Sometimes, Nicola feels like she is invisible. She thinks if she lives in the gingerbread house by herself that she would not have the problems that she has with her parents.

When Nicola places her head on the table for a moment’s rest, she closes her eyes for a second, which then becomes minutes until she is asleep. In her dream, her stature shrinks, and she stands as tall as the gingerbread men in the kit, which is much smaller than real life. As the dream goes on, she wanders through the rooms of the gingerbread home and holiday candies enjoying the sweet-smelling house. She makes her way to the kitchen with a peppermint fireplace and meets a gingerbread man named Cinnamon hanging a sugar wreath. Cinnamon tells her that he hopes she will be able to find her way home by Christmas morning. Since Nicola is not even sure how she got where she is in the first place, she doesn’t know how to find her way home. She sits down on the chocolate bar floor and sheds hot tears, which melts part of the ground. Then, Cinnamon tells her a secret: if she eats the gingerbread house, it won’t exist, and she’ll soon be home. Since her stomach shrunk, she has no idea how to eat the entire gingerbread house. Cinnamon says with each piece she eats that she will become bigger, and the house will become smaller. He places a jug of milk on the table. As a warning, Cinnamon reminds Nicola of the looming cats in the neighborhood.

Nicola eats the gingerbread house one piece at a time. As she eats the home, she grows in stature. It becomes smaller, little by little. When the cats circle her, she tries to hide until they leave. She eats every last crumb of gingerbread, icing, and sugar. By the time she grows back into her real-life stature, Cinnamon is very tiny, and she picks him up to look at him. As a friend, she cannot possibly eat him, but he insists that she swallow him, too. He says he is a gingerbread man and made to be eaten by a lovely girl like Nicola. As she eats her gingerbread friend whole, she takes a big drink of milk afterwards. Then, she awakens back at her kitchen table in her family’s home on Christmas Eve. Standing beside her is the angel-like Christkind, admiring the gingerbread house that she half-built before dozing off into a dream. The Christkind hands her a stuffed gingerbread man as a Christmas gift named Cinnamon. Then, she finishes the gingerbread house before Christmas morning as a surprise for her mother, which they eat for breakfast. What a sweet Christmas!