Emerging screenwriter Christian Noël used to work at a country club.
Country clubs, he said, are fantastic fodder for humor.
There was that time a lady screamed at him for serving chicken wings at a woman’s tennis event, insistent that “ladies don’t eat chicken wings.”
Or there was that time a member redecorated one of the country-club event spaces, claiming her taste in store-bought decor was far superior to the club’s existing design.
Noël uses his observations, quick wit and writing prowess in a script he wrote for mockumentary-style television comedy set to film its first pilot episode at Trilith Studios in September. A small taste of Noël’s humor can be sampled at an SNL-style comedy showcase called “Sketchy Business ATL” on Friday.
Noël started writing his script just for fun, in his spare time, after moving to Atlanta to be closer to family. But then he stumbled upon the website for the Trilith Institute, a nonprofit educational arm of Trilith Studios in Fayetteville.
The institute is designed to train and develop talent for careers in the film, television and digital production. The Institute offers a range of hands‑on programs, including acting workshops, screenwriting courses, directing seminars and production crew training.
Most importantly for Noël (and anyone who is interested in one day seeing his country club mockumentary), last year the institute also launched the Emerging Creative Residency program.
The residency program, now in its second year, is an immersive, year‑long program awarded to only one Georgia‑based writer or director.
The application process is rigorous, requiring applicants to submit finished scripts, letters of recommendation, a resume and detailed treatment for a proposed creative project. A committee narrows down the applicants (this year there were about 60) to a pool of five for interviews before selecting a winner.
“It’s a fairly sophisticated level of storyteller that we’re looking for,” said Jeffrey Stepakoff, president and CEO of Trilith Institute. “Somebody who is not at the very beginning, but somebody who hasn’t really broken through yet.”
The selected resident receives up to $100,000 in production funding to help create a proof of concept for their project (for example, a pilot episode), plus free accommodation for a year in a one-bedroom apartment in the Town at Trilith, access to the studio’s stages, event venues and resources and in-kind services like lighting grips and production crews.
All in, Stepakoff estimates the resident receives the equivalent of about $1 million in cash, goods and services. In exchange, residents are also employed on an hourly wage as part-time teaching assistants at the institute.
“In reading through 60 different applications, we came across a lot of incredible writers and filmmakers,” Stepakoff said, “But honestly, Christian Noël’s work just hopped off the pile. … It’s not easy to be funny. For Christian, it just comes so naturally. … The way he picks up the fundamental notes on storytelling is remarkable.”
Since becoming the 2025 resident, Noël has been hard at work on his country club comedy. which is slated to film a pilot episode in September at Trilith Studios.
In the meantime, though, Stepakoff challenged Noël to get his work in front of a live audience and introduce his comedic voice to the public. Noël accepted the challenge.
The result is the upcoming comedy showcase “Sketchy Business ATL” at Trilith’s Town Stage from 7-9 p.m. Friday. The show will include a “Saturday Night Live”-style lineup of about 10 roughly six-minute sketches (largely written by Noël, with a handful by other Georgia writers), two prerecorded film clips and some improvised comedy. The sketches will feature all Georgia actors.
Credit: Courtesy of Trilith Institute
Credit: Courtesy of Trilith Institute
“It’s really been a great opportunity to showcase true, Georgia-based talent here,” Noël said.
While the entire show has no direct connection to Noël’s country club TV pilot, there will be at least one related sketch to give audience members a taste of what they can expect from his concept.
“(This showcase) is really just another example of how Trilith Institute is literally putting their money where their mouth is and actually giving people like me a chance to show our work,” Noël said.
Trilith’s Town Stage can seat up to 800 people (though Noël is aiming for 500). It has a giant screen that wraps around the backside of the stage and spans from nearly the floor to the ceiling.
“I’ve been bragging to all my friends and family — just wait until you see the stage,” Noël said. “It’s a beautiful venue.”
Proceeds from the show will benefit the institute, which Stepakoff emphasizes is not just about training rising talent but also about keeping talent like Noël in Georgia.
Credit: Courtesy of Trilith Institute
Credit: Courtesy of Trilith Institute
“How many times have we told young people over the years, ‘If you want to be a television writer, if you want to be a movie writer, you’ve got to go to Hollywood,’” he said. “(Georgia) has created this incredible factory to make other people’s movies and television shows, and it’s been phenomenal. But the missing piece has been that we don’t keep our writers here. … Writers are the final piece to having the complete ecosystem.”
Stepakoff hopes Trilith’s emerging talent residency is one way to help close the circle. When the first pilot episode of Noël’s Trilith-backed mockumentary is complete, Stepakoff hopes Noël will push to sell and produce the show in Georgia.
If you go
“Sketchy Business ATL.” 7-9 p.m. Friday. Town Stage at Trilith Studios. 125 Shepperton Way, Fayetteville. Cost is $15-$75. trilithinstitute.org. 470-980-8335.
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