Drew Schmidt '05

Education:
M.F.A., Illinois State University
B.A., Northwestern College

712-707-7094
drew.schmidt@nwciowa.edu

Drew Schmidt is a lighting, sound and projection designer who has designed more than 40 shows at Northwestern, as well as productions for the Minnesota Fringe Festival, the Orange City Tulip Festival Night Show, and local dance studios. In addition, he has directed Northwestern productions, including Junie B Jones Is Not a Crook and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Schmidt regularly hosts design workshops at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

With 20 years of experience leading worship, Schmidt helps run Northwestern's interdisciplinary worship arts major. As part of his love for the church, he also volunteers as the head of the media team for Rocky Mountain High, a youth conference of the Reformed Church in America that attracts more than 3,000 high school students and youth leaders.

On the side, Schmidt acts as a web, media and graphic designer for Hermosa Cove, a resort in Ocho Rio, Jamaica. He also created The Nerdy Professor website, which provides easy-to-use video tutorials for the church and theatre and is used by technicians and designers across the country and around the world.

Schmidt earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in lighting and sound design from Illinois State University after graduating from Northwestern with majors in both theatre and computer science.

+Professional experienceAssistant Designer and Master Electrician, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, 2007-09 Lighting Shop Supervisor, Illinois State University, 2006-09