I am  in the process of renovating a house with rough stucco on the interior walls.  The stucco was troweled on over drywall.  There might be vermiculite instead of sand in the stucco.

Is there a way to smooth the stucco to the extent that a skim coat of plaster can be applied.

I like to know if anyone has a suggestion on removing the stucco without taking the drywall down too.  Or another idea on how to finish the walls.

Thank you