Christian is the 2025 Emerging Creative in Residence with the Trilith Institute. A native of Richmond, VA, he made the move to Atlanta after graduating from Yale University. In between acting in commercials and rehearsing for musicals, Christian began writing his own short plays. Soon enough, his work was being produced at theaters locally and internationally. In addition, his screenplays have won awards at various festivals, including the Austin and Atlanta Film Festivals. In 2025, he began his one-year residency at Trilith where he wrote and developed Cobb County Country Club, as well as acted in it.
This story was birthed out of my experiences, frustrations, and observations working at a country club for three years. What started as just a part-time job in between acting gigs turned into a constant episode idea generator. Every week, I compiled crazy work stories in my phone's Notes app until I had enough material to craft an entire season synopsis. Every character, story arc, and scandal is inspired by a real encounter.
CCCC is my catharsis. And it will be cathartic for millions of viewers: anyone who has ever worked a service job, been overlooked or undervalued at work, had to fight against impossible odds, or had to fit into ridiculous upper-class social constructs just to make friends.
Deborah films a video, advertising meet & greet to bring in new country club members. All is going well until a gang of feral squirrels invades the building. Not able to spend money on pest control, Deborah and her afternoon staff devise a plan to scare off the squirrels before Janice, the member board president, shows up — too late. She's here. And she's ready to decorate for her son's birthday party happening that evening.
Carl and Betsy Mae decide to scatter bait around the club to make the squirrels sic, while Jacob...no one knows where Jacob is. Carl takes matters into his own hands, thinking he can drug the critters. But that only makes the squirrels grow more feral leading to an all out war that destroys the party room.
Deborah comes clean to Janice about the money embezzlement and the two decide to work together to get the club (and the birthday party) back on its feet.
Deborah has been promoted to general manager of Cobb County Country Club, thanks to her hard work and dedication…and the fact that the previous GM was caught embezzling money and fled the country with most of their funds, leaving her with a minuscule budget and a hoard of members who have no idea that their country club is in colossal debt.
To keep her job and prove herself, Deborah works to restore the bank accounts by recruiting new (paying) members.
With a combination of her street smarts and unbreakable, robust positivity, Deborah leads her misbehaving and conniving staff in hosting swanky dinner parties, charity golf tournaments, and (technically illegal) gambling rings. Anything to satisfy Georgia’s upper echelon. And her first step in making extra cash: letting a camera crew film the whole thing for a documentary! What could possibly go wrong?
Written by a guy who spent three years pouring liquor and cleaning up messes at a country club in Atlanta.
Played by: Princess Elmore
The new GM of CCCC. She began her career working "hospitality" in Atlanta and worked her way up the career ladder with grit and determination. Having to hide her "street side" around the members, she's become a master at code switching. Many of her ideas can be a bit unhinged, but it may take a crazy visionary to save the club.
Played by: Erin Stegeman
The president of the Board of Members at CCCC. She is a southern belle from hell. Janice is incredibly organized and an unapologetic go-getter. She's as sweet as peach cobbler...until you get on her bad side. But she's determined to save this club, even if she doesn't always see eye to eye with Deborah.
Played by: Julian Cain Cornejo
The new assistant general manager of CCCC. As the logical, straight thinker of the group, he keeps Deborah from flying off the rails. He's also usually the one on damage control. But sometimes his domineering ways only make situations worse.
This series is a mockumentary-style workplace comedy, along the lines of Parks & Rec and Abbott Elementary. The tone of the show is irreverent and ridiculous, interspersed with lighthearted and heartwarming moments.
Much of the comedy will be derived from the out-of-touch nature of the privileged members and the antics of the disorganized and unprofessional staff.
The show will use humor to explore themes of the ups-and-downs of the service industry, the lasciviousness of the elite, and the power of a positive mindset in overcoming all odds. A true underdog/fish out of water story.
The show is bright, refined and elegant. Except for the moments when the club if falling apart, acting as a visual juxtaposition.
The underdog/against-the-odds comedy of Abbott Elementary
The upper class shenanigans of Caddyshack
Deborah and Janice spend season one brainstorming and executing various initiatives to raise money for the club and recruit new members. Whether it’s a charity golf tournament, debutante ball, or lawn party, the two must work together to hold these events on a tight budget, all while keeping the members in the dark. Simultaneously, the staff must manage the plethora of problems that arrive with managing an event space, such as a squirrel infestation, running out of food before a gala, or double booking a Bible study and a swingers party. If their calculations are correct, the club must recruit 100 new members in the next year to stay afloat — and Deborah is determined to meet that goal!
A new country club opens down the street, threatening CCCC's numbers. Deborah must compete.
CCCC competes to become a Top 100 club! But there's a list of requirements Deborah must complete.
After the cart girl breaks her leg, Carl hires an attractive cart boy. The male golfers aren't happy, but the club is seeing a sudden uptick in women signing up to play.
When a pipe bursts in the women's lounge, the men are forced to share their "man cave" with the ladies. Chaos ensues.
Deborah pretends to be a certified pickleball coach in order to host a major tournament at the club.
After Deborah incentivizes the staff to work harder with an EOM cash prize, the employees go to far lengths to claim the winnings.
This (proof of concept) pilot was made entirely possible by the Emerging Creative in Residence program through Trilith Institute at Trilith Studios. The ECR program invites one Georgia screenwriter to work with Trilith for a year and write a screenplay that will be filmed by Trilith Institute Productions. All funding and expenses are covered, so the resident can focus 100% on writing and developing the screen work.
The intention here is to demonstrate to potential buyers the immense possibilities and marketability of CCCC as a fully-produced series. This episode introduces the main characters and premise that would drive the show, as well as demonstrates the solid comedy and interpersonal relationships that would entice and retain an audience. This also serves as a "resume" of Christian's writing style and abilities.
Trilith Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the discovery, development, and professional advancement of storytellers who inspire the world. We at the institute focus on bridging the gap for up-and-coming creatives trying to break into the above-the-line roles in the entertainment industry. We do this by providing professional education, created and led by current industry professionals, as well as by providing creative opportunities such as our Emerging Creative Residency and Creative Excellence Fellowship Grant. Trilith Institute provided Christian with housing in the Town at Trilith, professional career development, and a team of experienced crew members to film his proof of concept.
We're currently seeking distribution partners for this project and welcome inquiries from distributors, programmers, exhibitors, and industry professionals. If you're interested in bringing this production to new audiences, please contact contact@trilithinstitute.org
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