CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, September 06, 2017

HDYGTFAJ : Scott Gerwitz

Guild of Scenic Artists: We all start somewhere. We’re going to hear from the people who kept at it, and wound up somewhere unexpected and awesome. In this interview, we’re hearing some of that wisdom from Scott Gerwitz.

Scott was my first “real” Charge Artist right out of college, when I was lucky enough to be his intern at Steppenwolf  Theatre in
the spring of 2000.  Right or wrong, he encouraged me to go back to
school and learn more about this crazy world called Scenic Art. He
continued on in his winding career path from theatre, a bit of teaching,
and then into TV with the Oprah Winfrey Show. He now works as a
USA 829 Union Scenic Artist, and in-demand muralist and sign painter.
We were able to sit down and chat when he traveled to Minneapolis for a
mural job.

3 comments:

Sarah C said...

I love this article, because it really shows you the progression of someone discovering and learning and trying and becoming successful after pursuing their dreams even many, many years out of college. I find that I've been struggling a bit figuring out what I want to do, but things like this reassue me that as long as it feels right, do it, and if it doesn't feel right go do something else! Things are open, and one things can lead to another and bring you places you never though you would be - he went from actor to restaurant mural painter, my mom went from a manager to an actress, my dad went from an actor to a dancer. So who knows where you may end up or what you'll do? It's important to remember there's room to grow and college isn't always everything. Learn what you can, have fun, and explore yourself, and leave the hard stuff for later... there's always time to choose something else! That's a reminder I need a lot...

Rachel Kolb said...

This article also showed that if you work hard enough you can improve any skill. It just depends how hard you want to work and what you are willing to sacrifice. But, in the end no matter what you sacrifice I believe it will be worth it in the long run. That feeling of accomplishment after something finally clicks after so long, that is a great feeling. And that’s what I’m here for. To work on skills that I want to learn or improve upon to become a better artist. And I know that that will mean a lot of hard work and possibly long nights, but that feeling when I get it will be worth every second of it.

Katie Pyzowski said...

I agree with Sarah and Rachel. For the longest time I thought I was going to go into STEM, until I found theatre and I questioned everything. It's really important to follow your gut and advice until you find something you can commit your whole self too. I too hope to learn as much as while here to be able to figure out further where I want to go.
Something that rang really true with me from this article is Gerwirtz response to what is the most rewarding about his job. I love theatre because its a diverse form of art and a special kind of storytelling. I love being able to get invested and to immerse myself completely in this other kind of world. Even more, I love creating these worlds to impact others. I want to be a part of the theatre industry because I want to spread this kind of storytelling art, and I want to make people feel and respond when they watch. I want everyone to moved by art like I am, because it changed my life.