The story the audience hears.
Before the consulting room and the classroom, Mercer Aplin is a sound designer — building the aural world of plays, musicals, and devised work from concept to opening night. Explore the full portfolio of productions, process, and awards at aplinaudio.systems.
Designing the aural world.
Theatrical sound design starts long before the rig goes in — reading the play, listening for what the text wants, and building a sonic language that supports the story without calling attention to itself. From conceptual direction through cueing and tech, the work lives at the intersection of dramaturgy, craft, and acoustics.
Play analysis and aural dramaturgy
Sound scoring, composition, and playback design
Microphone design and reinforcement for musicals
System plot, cue structure, and tech-table discipline
Collaboration with directors, designers, and stage management
2014 USITT Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement Award — Medea
Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival — Excellence in Sound Design (Region III), Never The Sinner — advanced to National Competition
A fuller list of productions and credits appears on the design portfolio.
Produced work, process shots, and credits live on the portfolio.
aplinaudio.systems collects Mercer’s theatrical sound design — from Purdue and Baltimore Center Stage to the productions that earned national recognition.
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