About Mackenzie (she/her)

I am an audio engineer based in the DC metro area and Virginia, though I have spent the past 5 years on the road. 

I am currently Head Audio for the First National Tour of "Dear Evan Hansen", which is paused due to COVID-19 but will resume. 

In the meantime I am freelancing in Richmond, VA and remotely. 

I am a proud member of IATSE.

Other Credits: I previously toured North America as Head Audio for "Something Rotten" First National Tour and "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" First and Second National Tours. I have mixed regional productions of "Miss Saigon", "Mamma Mia", and my personal favorite "Silence! the Musical" among others. While musical theatre is my first love and biggest passion, I also have experience mixing plays with cinematic underscoring; musical genres including pop, rock, jazz, metal, and hip hop; and comedy/spoken performance. 

Education: I have a BFA in Theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University where I focused on Sound and Technical Direction. I also received hands on education working each summer between school semesters at summer stock theatres including Shenandoah Summer Musical Theatre and Western Playhouse. I was lucky enough to learn from some of the best audio minds in the business on my first Broadway contract, and since then I truthfully have never stopped learning.

Quarantine: During this stint of involuntary unemployment, I have primarily focused on self care. This is a difficult time for everyone, not only out of work entertainment workers, and focusing on physical and mental health should be a priority for all of us. However I have also found time for professional development! I’ve acquired all 3 levels of Dante certification and am working towards additional certifications. I have participated in a number of Sennheiser’s “Sound Academy” webinars as well as refreshed my Smaart and Vectorworks expertise via live and prerecorded seminars. I’ve sharpened up my rigging knowledge with some of the Chicago Flyhouse classes and have reviewed the entirety of John Huntington’s Show Control video series. I am also enrolled in online community college working towards a second degree. 

Amplify: Broadway, the touring world, and the theatre industry at large have much work to do in making our workplaces diverse, equitable, and inclusive toward people of marginalized genders, racial and ethnic identities, abilities, and LGBTQ+ identity. There is a tab on this website where I have compiled resources toward understanding and improving these dynamics. My intention is to use whatever traffic my small personal website garners to point people towards these resources and do my part to amplify the projects and initiatives that will make my community better.

Please feel free to contact me at  ellismtech@gmail.com  for professional inquiries. Students and young professionals interested in shadowing a mix are especially encouraged.