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Along with his responsibilities as Artistic Director of On the Isle, Carl is also Creative Director of Events at Shackman Associates, a New York City-based destination management and special events firm serving corporations around the world.

Mr. Schmehl's deep roots in the theater began in Boston while attending Emerson College. For the Colonial Theatre, he worked on the national tours of "Annie," "Sugar Babies" starring Carol Channing," A Chorus Line," and the Broadway tryout of "Woman of the Year" starring Lauren Bacall. In Boston, Carl met Broadway composer Charles Strouse ("Annie" and "Bye Bye Birdie") while directing Strouse's opera "Nightingale." This began an association that lasted over a decade.

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A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came early in his career when he was asked to help create and direct a new musical by Kathi Lavine and Brian Clark called "Magic Me.” At 26 years of age, he was working with the likes of some of Broadway's legendary composers and lyricists, including Lionel Bart, Stephen Sondheim, Burton Lane, Jerry Herman, Jule Styne, Mary Rodgers, Sheldon Harnick, Comden and Green, Kander and Ebb, Cy Coleman, and Webber and Rice. 

Directing and choreography credits: "The Aluminum Garden" (Off Broadway), "Almost Live from the Betty Ford Clinic" (Off Broadway), "Rockwell" (Maine Center for the Performing Arts), "Vincentennial" (Majestic Theatre, Boston), "Its all in the Book" (Wang Center, Boston), "Tonight at Eight,” "On the Air" (New England Life Hall, Boston), The Bad Boy Club (Waterfront Playhouse, Key West),  Anything Goes (St. Bart's Playhouse, NYC), "Follies" (Bangor Opera House), "Joseph...Dreamcoat" (Shawnee Playhouse, Poconos), "Evita," (chor. only, Red Barn Playhouse, Berkshires), "Tintypes," "Cabaret" and "Barnum" all at Stagedoor Manor in the Catskills. Most recently, he assisted director/choreographer Gillian Lynne in London's West End production of Jerry Herman’s "Dear World" starring Betty Buckley. He also assisted Ms. Lynne, best known for her mega hits "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera,” on productions in New York, San Diego, London and Vienna, including "Gigi" and the Burt Bacharach musical "What the World Needs Now."This past Fall, he directed Pirates of Penzance for the Blue Hill Troupe at the Theater at St. Jean's in New York City. 

Regional credits include: production stage manager, "Camelot" (Walnut Street theatre, Philadelphia); casting choreographer, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (National Tour); production coordinator and stage manager, "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular" (Radio City Music Hall in New York and Palace Theatre, Myrtle Beach); casting and production supervisor at Universal Studios Florida opening season. 

Carl is a native New Yorker. Of few of his treasured "show biz" memories include washing dishes with his idol Bob Fosse, singing the entire score of "Sweet Charity" in the car with its composer Cy Coleman, teaching Sammy Davis, Jr.  how to make a good cup of tea, and having a laughing fit in a men's room with Carol Burnett.