David Smith has been working professionally since the age of 19 in theatre, television, and
movies. Originally from South Carolina, David has worked on locations in Asheville and
Wilmington, NC, Chicago, St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, MO, Atlanta, Phoenix, Denver, New
Orleans, San Francisco, Oakland, Houston, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Innsbruck, Austria, Karlovy, and Prague, Czech Republic.
David’s work includes plays for regional theatre, Broadway, and Off-Broadway theaters, soap
operas, sitcoms, after-school specials, episodic series, television movies, pilots, news broadcasts, limited series, and feature films.
Some career highlights are: Theatre: The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man In The Moon Marigolds, Woman In The Dunes, The Importance of Being Earnest, Yellow Jackets, and The House of Blue Leaves. Off-Broadway productions like Extremities and Old Times. Broadway’s Moose Murders.
David’s impressive television credits include As The World Turns, The Guiding Light, Blossom, LA Law, NYPD Blue, Unbelievable, and most recently The Old Man.
David was also the Set Decorator for beloved films like The Holiday, Crazy Stupid Love,
Your Place or Mine, The Last Holiday, Knox Goes Away, and In Good Company.
David Smith is a member of the Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA)
_____________________
“I regularly used Newel Gallery /Props when working in New York and after moving to Los
Angeles, interacting with original owner Bruce Newman, then Lewis Baer, the legendary Richard Szepinski, and even the young Jake Baer.
I rented set dressing for As the World Turns and The Guiding Light, used beautiful antler
furniture for Moose Murders, and sent artwork to Prague for The Last Holiday.” – David Smith
David Smith's Project Showcase
IINVENTING ANNA - Photo by David Smith THE GOOD PLACE - Photo by David SmithROGUE TV Movie London Museum - Photo David Smith
Q&A with David Smith
Q.
First investment piece of furniture you purchased?
A.
In mid-1985 I purchased a Thonet Bentwood table from Harwood Galleries on Madison Avenue near E 72 nd. Barry Harwood closed the gallery and became the Curator of Decorative Arts at the Brooklyn Museum.
Q.
How did you get started in this field?
A.
I was a regional theatre property master and a sometime set and costume designer at the Cleveland Play House. In 1978 I worked on a TV pilot “From Cleveland” with the SCTV troupe (Toronto based Second City improv group) that included Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Andrea Martin. The other project was the film “Those Lips Those Eyes” which took place at a summer stock theatre company (location Cain Park Amphitheatre) and Cloudia Rebar was the Set Decorator. I arranged the rental of the prop rooms at the Cleveland Play House for their backstage set. I became a Set Decorator in 1981 at CBS TV in NYC.
Q.
What is the best thing about shopping in person?
A.
Being able to touch and feel everything and maybe see or discover other things that you hadn’t thought of as an option. I drive my Set Decoration Buyers bonkers when looking at photos of their shopping by always spying something just out of
frame. What’s that?!!!
Q.
How do you define beauty?
A.
Something that makes you happy, settled, and excited. And beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. When putting together sets, I always say this is wonderful and definitely not my taste, but the taste of the character.
Q.
Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?
A.
Taking a risk in 1966 to leave a post-high school and technical college life in South Carolina at 19 and begin working professionally in theatre. Then, deciding to move to NYC in 1980 and again to leave NYC for Los Angeles in 1991 for more television and movie options.
Q.
How would you define your work in three words?
A.
Joyful, Fun and Challenging.
Q.
Favorite city to recharge?
A.
New York City and Pawley’s Island South Carolina.
Q.
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
A.
An actor and an artist. Mama often said I wanted to be a preacher! LOL
Q.
If you could own a second home anywhere you wanted, where would it be?
A.
New York City or Rome, Italy.
Q.
Worst fad you participated in?
A.
Getting a permanent mid-1970s, which I cut off 2 days later. Frizzy!
