Meet Jake Newcomb - Sound Designer and Technician!

Hello all! Today we got a chance to chat with Jake Newcomb who is the Sound Designer for “Chitra: The Girl Prince”. You will see him sit at the back of the theater in front of elaborate equipment (soundboards and computer screens). It is pretty amazing how technology allows for the sound cues and light cues to be programmed together. Here’s what Jake had to say when we asked him to give us a background about himself and his thoughts about this show:

Hi! My name's Jake Newcomb and I've been working as the in house Sound Engineer and (sometimes) Sound Designer for NWCT for the past 3 seasons. I had never thought I would work in theater, it was not on my radar to be honest, but I am thrilled to be doing so and I find the work very satisfying. I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Audio Engineering in 2014, and immediately relocated to Oregon from Maine. I worked as a live sound engineer for various event companies for a while, before finding work at NWCT. Since then the path has led me to various jobs throughout the city, working in places like Artist Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Newmark Theater and more.

I really enjoyed in helping to build a story that is outside of Western culture. Personally I've always had a pull and an interest in Eastern cultures, myths and religions, so seeing a Mainstage show with roots in Hindu mythology is really refreshing. God's in theater are usually represented by Zeus or Greek myths, so seeing names like Shiva, Madan and Vasant in the script is a nice change. The musical element as well has been refreshing. Most of the beats and rhythms in these songs are a bit different than what Western ears are trained to hear. The droning sitars sound great, the drum tones are unique and powerful - it's been a great change of pace to work with a style of music I don't usually get to work with.

Thanks Jake! Readers when you come for the show, make sure you stop by and say hi to him! He’s a pretty cool guy!