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Theresa “Penny” Santos was already in her 70s when, in 2004, she began asking herself a new question. Until then, she had lived most of her life in motion for others.
She was one of 16 children, married at 25, left her beloved New York when her husband decided, raised a daughter, kept a house, and stayed close to family. Responsibility came first.
When her husband passed away, the house on Purchase Street in New Bedford grew quiet. Despite being close to her family and surrounded by friends, Santos sensed that something important was missing. She found herself asking a question she hadn’t needed to before. What do I like? What do I want to do?
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The answer came in a newspaper ad. The Zeiterion was looking for volunteer ushers. Santos loved music. She called.
Now 91, Santos is preparing for the reopening of the Z, where she has volunteered as an usher for 17 years and serves on the steering committee. She has no plans to retire and says she will stay as long as she has the strength.
At the Z, Santos found a vocation that had been on hold for most of her life. It became a place where she finally chose something just for herself. She now encourages new volunteers to join, especially those who are still figuring out who they are.
“Actually you don’t really know what you like. You’re married, you have your husband, you have your children, you have your family. And so you see the calendar and you’re marking this, this, this, this, this. And then all of a sudden you look at the calendar and you say, ‘What do I want to do?’”
The art of greeting
Born in New York in the 1930s, Santos grew up in a large family. She was one of 12 sisters and four brothers, the children of Cape Verdean immigrant parents. Her father spoke very little English and worked as a chemist in the soap industry. Her mother sewed slipcovers for steamships. “My life growing up was merely with the family,” Santos said.
She married and had a daughter. When her husband decided their child needed smaller classrooms, the family moved to New Bedford, where a class of 31 students became 17. She missed home. She recalls hearing “New York, New York,” sung by Liza Minnelli for the first time, and getting emotional. Gradually, New Bedford took hold, especially downtown. “It had all the beautiful stores,” she said. “Furniture store and magazine stores and peanut shops and Sears was there and Star Store and the shoe store.”
But it was The Zeiterion that truly captured her. It wasn’t until 2004, 35 years after she arrived in New Bedford, when she walked in for her volunteer usher interview. “It was just so warm,” Santos said. “Everybody that’s there is happy whether they’re buying a ticket or whatever. It’s a joyful place to be.”
Over the years, Santos learned the skills of a good usher. She guided patrons to their seats, kept an eye on the line at the bar to make sure it moved, monitored aisles and exits, and, when necessary, reminded people — very gently — when photos or video were not allowed during a performance. After the theater reopened following COVID-19, she also asked guests for proof of vaccination.
“When you put the uniform on, you’re a different person,” she said. “You got to pay attention to the rules that go there and keep your eye on if somebody needs help or something.”
But what mattered most to her was the greeting at the entrance. “When they come in, we just don’t say, ‘Let me see your ticket,’” Santos said. “No, no, no. We say, ‘How are you?’ and ‘Oh, I love that dress.’”
“And when you greet them,” she continued, “you make them feel like they’re family coming in to visit.”
Dori Rubbicco, the director of patron experience and programming at The Zeiterion and the volunteer coordinator for more than 13 years, has watched Santos do this night after night. “We call her the Energizer Bunny,” she said. “She is just so enthusiastic and has such a bright spirit. And people flock to her.”
One of Rubbicco’s earliest memories of Santos dates back about 15 years, during a Tower of Power concert. Rubbicco was walking through the darkened theater, checking that everything was in order, when she noticed movement at the back of the house, where ushers are meant to stand watch. Santos was dancing.
“I mean, really dancing,” Rubbicco said, laughing. “I looked at her. I swear my mouth just dropped.” Two other ushers flanked her and began dancing as well. Rubbicco paused, then smiled. “I’m like, damn, yeah, this is great. This is amazing.”
Like a chosen family
For Santos, The Zeiterion became more than a place to volunteer. It became a community. At the Z, last names are never used. Everyone goes by first. “So you feel like you’re one big happy family,” she said. Ushers travel together — on cruises, on trips through Europe — and look out for one another. Santos does not drive, but she never worries about getting to a shift. Someone always calls. “You don’t have to worry about getting there or getting home,” she said. “That is how close we are.”
Rubbicco sees the ushers as essential to the fabric of the Z, not just staffing the building but shaping the experience inside it. Many are retired teachers, nurses, and professionals. Many are widows or widowers. For them the theater fills a social and emotional space, she said. During the pandemic shutdown, keeping that group connected became her priority. “My main concern was, how do I keep everyone engaged when we’re closed?” she said. She organized Zoom calls, lunches, and outings once it was safe. “The trip to the casino was a blast.”
Making accommodations that allow ushers to keep volunteering is important, Rubbicco said. The goal is to serve them as they serve the theater. They are part of its identity. Santos, especially. “I can’t imagine the Z community without her,” she said. “She has woven herself into the fabric of what this team is about.”For Santos, the Z offers something rare: a place where going alone does not mean being alone. “I don’t want to go to the clubs by myself,” she said. “But you can go to the Z by yourself because when you get to the Z, you’re not by yourself. You’re with people who are all enjoying the show and talking about the performance. So you’re part of something. That’s what it’s about.”
Email Eleonora Bianchi at ebianchi@newbedfordlight.org.
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What a wonderful interview. At 91, Penny Santos continues to shine with the same energy and grace she brought to The Zeiterion when she first started in her 70s. The “Z” truly is her big, happy family, and you can feel the love she has for every moment she spends there. No wonder her colleagues call her the Energizer Bunny — she’s living proof that passion keeps you young. Such an inspiration. ” kel mudjer ta bai, ta ben, ta risu, ta trabadja, and never misses a beat” A true Cabo Verdean powerhouse and an absolute legend.