Grammy-winning vocalist John Schlitt is set to join actor Stephen Baldwin in a new sitcom, Rock And A Hard Place, slated to go into production in the Spring. The faith-based television project features Schlitt in the role of John, the maintenance man at Solid Rock Church, where Baldwin's character is the pastor.
The sitcom, which has reached its initial Kickstarter goal to produce the pilot, is currently in Phase Two as the production team strives to make a "reach goal" of $100,000. The deadline for contributions is 9 p.m. E.T. Thursday, January 16.
The story line centers around Baldwin's character, Pastor Darren Keaton, who has a young daughter, a live-in mother-in-law, a slowly declining congregation in a northern Illinois church. When Pastor Keaton learns he has become the new owner of Hard Knocks, the bar directly across the street from his church home, Solid Rock Church, he suddenly finds himself between "a rock and a hard place." The pastor questions how his congregation will respond, how the church elders and staff will treat him, and how a devoutly religious man pastoring a church can possibly be allowed to own a bar? Pastor Darren finds he must look up for the answers, even more now than ever.
"Rock And A Hard Place is a comedy sitcom extravaganza," Baldwin says. "It's an outside the box, kooky, funny, Christian comedy of a heightened quality."
Joining Baldwin and Schlitt in the cast are Braxton Cosby (Bill Cosby's nephew), Eddie Steeples (My Name is Earl), and actress Lindee Link (Christian music singer Twila Paris' cousin). Grammy nominee Bryan Duncan wrote and performed the theme song for the new TV project. Darren Marlar is the series creator, producer, writer and also acts in the show.
