Last year the Zeiterion turned 100, and from that “Beyond 100” was born.
Our building is changing. Our programming is expanding. Our intention is shifting.
This year we will prepare for these changes. To be a gathering place for performing arts experiences where learning, connection, and creative expression thrive.
We’re setting a new stage for our grand re-opening in late 2025.
This is The Z reimagined.
We invite you to come along!
The Year Ahead
We are well underway on our goal to create a stateof-the-art performing arts center for the Southcoast. The Z’s transformational capital project gives us the opportunity to reimagine what the 100-year-old Zeiterion can be for the next century – both inside and out. When we re-open in late 2025, it won’t just be the building that will look different.
We’re using the year ahead to plan for our grand reopening. So that we can activate the building in new ways that serve the entire community. To be open more hours of the day, more days of the week, more weeks of the year. To offer various opportunities for people to experience the arts, beyond a performance. Stay tuned for more on our bold strategic plan that brings the building to life.
While under construction, we will present a small number of performances, events, and classes outside our building. We’ll also be laser-focused on completing the fundraising for the project, on implementing our strategic plan, and on being a more equitable and inclusive organization.
“Beyond100” is our fundraising campaign for the restoration and renovation. It’s also our frame of mind as we look to the next 100 years of the Zeiterion. We’re creating a performing arts center for the next century.
Beyond100 fundraising campaign has launched!
On September 27, we launched a MAJOR initiative – The Z’s Beyond100 fundraising campaign for the Zeiterion’s restoration and renovation! If you haven’t already, please watch Rosemary Gill’s exciting video announcement to the right. We hoped to celebrate this moment with you at our Raise the Roof event, but the weather had other plans.
Thanks to generous early contributions, City/State funding, and Historic Tax Credits, we have secured $33 million of the $37 million needed to restore and renovate the Zeiterion. Beyond100 is the public phase of our fundraising efforts to close the $4 million gap of this transformational project.
We are grateful to have the support of many, including two celebrities who believe in the power of the performing arts and this project: Téa Leoni and Jenny Slate! The actors of stage and screen have joined the Campaign Committee as honorary chairs. We are thrilled to welcome them and their assistance in raising awareness for Beyond100.
With this campaign and this renovation, we are ringing in the next 100 years – not only of the building, but of the organization that brings it to life. We’ve been entrusted to care for a century-old, cityowned resource, and we’re honored to do it.
If you’d like to share this campaign with a friend, our progress and construction updates will be available on our brand-new website dedicated to all things Beyond100: zeiterion.org/beyond100.
A Super Collab with NorthStar
We have an exciting new program – SuperART (Activating Real Transformation), a first-of-its-kind collaboration between The Z and NorthStar Learning Centers that connects the arts with social and emotional learning! NorthStar is a minority-led nonprofit that helps young people overcome poverty, discrimination, and other adversity through learning to transform their lives and communities.
In this program, comic book illustrator Roger Andrews and Playback Theatre teacher Jennie Kristel help young people ages 10 to 14 identify their unique superpowers and discover how to use art to improve their community. It was a hit right from the start – it was at capacity before it even began.
Over 11 weeks, participants will tap into their creativity, build social and emotional skills, and work together to create a mural that will showcase their superhero avatars. This program is free, and, thanks to the generous support of the Greater New Bedford Youth Alliance and the Community Foundation, every participant will receive food, transportation, and creativity kits to take home with them at the end of the program.
Construction Update
Since June, crews have worked daily to clear out the Zeiterion – not just seats and fixtures, but also walls and floors. Demolition is now mostly complete, and the interior of the building looks VERY different!
One of the biggest changes is between the second and third floors. At one point, the second floor held a ball room with a balcony (it once overlooked a miniature golf course, but that’s a story for another time). The balcony was eventually filled in, dividing the building’s oversized windows to create two full floors for storage and offices.
If you’ve ever visited the Zeiterion offices on the third floor, you know this floor wasn’t exactly level. This uneven, often tripped-on floor has now been removed to prepare for the movement studio and office space. Soon a large steel beam will be brought in to construct new, LEVEL flooring for the third floor. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the beautiful, original windows in their entirety.
Mini golf course on the second floor inside the Zeiterion, circa 1930
Supporter lounge
Second floor view of third floor removal
Main lobby
Local Connections
The project’s general contractor Colantonio might be based in Holliston, MA, but two of its team members have very local roots.
Project Manager Jacob Robitaille was born in New Bedford and grew up in Fairhaven. As a child, he came to The Z for school field trips and his sisters’ and cousins’ dance recitals. He even had a cousin who was a Theatre Manager at The Z. After working in the DC area for a decade, he moved back to the Southcoast. Since he’s returned, he’s been to The Z for shows, mainly comedians. “I’m happy to be working on a project that means so much to the community I grew up in,” Jacob said.
Hailing from Dartmouth, Assistant Project Manager Michael McDonald was involved in the arts from a young age. He grew up with a mother and grandmother who love the theatre – which means he attended many shows throughout his childhood. He made numerous trips to The Z for performances, both with Potter School and Dartmouth Middle School. “As a former architecture student now working in construction, the opportunity to renovate a local iconic building—one that not only New Bedford will enjoy, but that my family can also experience—makes this project truly rewarding and exciting.”
Lorum Ipsum
Lorum Ipsum
Bristol Community College
The big dig, Zeiterion style
Jacob Robitaille Colantonio Project Manager
Michael McDonald Colantonio Assistant Project Manager
Spotlight on Z Staffer Anita Berryman
When you make a donation, it’s processed by Anita Berryman, one of the hardworking team members in The Z’s Development department. “Every donation I process, no matter how small or large, fills me with a sense of pride and gratitude for how generous our community is and how much The Z means to every donor,” Anita said.
Anita brought her talent and expertise to The Z last November, though she has a long history with The Z. From 2018 to 2020, Anita served as a member of our volunteer Usher Corps. She was already familiar with the building from attending events like her daughter’s dance recitals and on Easter when her former church rented The Z for the large service. It is where Anita brought her daughter (a former Z staffer!) to help cultivate a love of theater, a passion that was shared with Anita. “One of my fondest memories is walking to the State Theater with my nana to see Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl.”
Her existing knowledge of the Zeiterion made for a smooth transition, but it’s her 20+ years of experience as communications professional that has made her a superstar at The Z. From high-tech public relations to corporate communications, global companies to small businesses, Anita brings an invaluable perspective to her current position. “Working at The Z is a labor of love and a chance to give back to an organization that has always been part of my life,” she said. “My goal is to share my skills and experience to help The Z move forward Beyond 100 years!”
Anita Berryman Development Assistant
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE)
When we embarked on this project, WHALE was one of the first we called. We were in need of guidance in navigating the transformational renovation and restoration of a 100-year-old building, and they delivered.
As our historic preservation specialist, they have been and continue to be a tremendous help in guiding us through the application process for Federal and State Historic Tax Credits, following preservation guidelines, and communicating directly with the agencies that oversee historic restoration projects.
Their expertise has been invaluable to The Z and to our architects as we traverse this complex project. They are here for us now, like they were 40 years ago when they saved the Zeiterion from the wrecking ball. Our work with them has come full circle, and we are truly grateful.
WHALE led the restoration when The State reopened as The Zeiterion Theatre in 1982. John Bullard, President of WHALE, cuts the inaugural ribbon.
