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Thirty feet above the stage of the Zeiterion Theatre, two men emerge from the fine dust that glistens in the beams of LED work lights; their feet are planted firmly on the scaffolding, their hands reaching up to touch the century-old ceiling under the gaze of nine golden Greek muses watching from the frieze. William Nagenda carefully scrapes away layers of paint to reveal a soft apricot crème color; beside him, Serri Correia carves roses into fresh plaster with scalpel-like tools.
“It’s almost like archeologists do stuff,” Nagenda said. “You have to dig in the background and see what the original color is and everything they used before.”
The Zeiterion renovation project is in the midst of a breathtaking chapter: the restoration of the theater’s ceiling mural, original plasterwork, and the muses themselves. The goal of the historical painters and plasterers is to bring back the theater’s original 1923 color scheme, long buried under layers of paint added during a renovation more than 40 years ago.
The $37 million renovation project, which began in June 2024, is now 60% complete and remains on track for a reopening in early 2026. The campaign to raise the remaining $2.6 million to reach the full budget is progressing well, according to Nicole Merusi, vice president of Strategic Advancement. “There’s not a piece of this project — whether it’s the historical restoration of the space or how we’re reimagining other parts of the building — that hasn’t come with true community partnerships,” she said.
Researching the interior’s history
The search for the Zeiterion’s original colors began in summer 2020, when the theater sat quiet during the pandemic. A team of specialists conducted a historic paint analysis, peeling back the bluish-gray coating to reveal the palette that once graced the auditorium.
“What’s really interesting about the Zeiterion is we don’t actually have any color pictures of the interior of the theater from 1923,” said Merusi. Without visual records, the team turned to newspaper archives and local institutions. It became, in her words, “a kind of a process of reading articles, looking to organizations like the Whaling Museum or Spinner Publications, who are the keepers of New Bedford’s history, to piece together the look and feel of the original color scheme.”
They collaborated with the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the National Park Service to meet preservation standards. The 1980s renovation, limited by the tools of its time, left much of the original design hidden. “They did the best they could with the technology they had,” said Jacob Robitaille, project manager at Colantonio, the general contractor in charge. “This building was well due for a renovation.”
As with any major restoration, the new Zeiterion project faced its share of surprises early on. In two locations, construction workers had to dig deeper than where the original foundation was placed.
Near the future site of the elevator, they hit a granite ledge beneath the structure. With no room for heavy machinery, the rock had to be broken apart in small sections and removed from the building. Beneath the orchestra pit, digging extended below the water table, requiring extensive dewatering to stabilize the ground.
“That was a pretty big challenge that our contractors overcame,” said Merusi. “It shifted the timeline a little bit, but not outside our original expectations.”
Now, as ceiling restoration continues, one mockup section — a finished sample of the final design — has been completed and approved. Once a third of the ceiling is restored, part of the scaffolding will be lowered so some crew members can begin work on the orchestra lift while others continue overhead.
A hub for gathering, learning
The Zeiterion’s transformation goes far beyond plaster and paint. When the building reopens in 2026, it will house a new lobby, a classroom, a movement studio, and a speakeasy lounge — spaces designed for community use, learning and gathering, including commercial rentals, birthday and retirement parties or local business meetings.
These additions reflect a broader evolution in how the Zeiterion plans to operate, explained Merusi. Before the pandemic, the annual budget hovered around $3.4 million. They expect to start at that level again, with steady growth that could “blossom beyond $5 million in a few years.”
As the only theater of its kind within 45 miles, the Zeiterion plays a key role in the region’s cultural life. Most of its audience comes from within 25 miles, but it also draws from Boston, Rhode Island, and the Cape, Merusi said. That reach, she added, is why the community is so eager for its return.
While she can’t share details yet, Merusi said plans for the 2026 reopening are already in motion — with the goal of making it a clear reflection of the community effort behind the project. “It will be a really strong, shining example of that when we reopen.”
The Zeiterion team knows how much this moment matters. “We’re just growing further and further apart from each other,” Merusi said. “And I can think of no better time than now for the Zeiterion to really be an important space to bring people together.”
Email Eleonora Bianchi at ebianchi@newbedfordlight.org
More by Eleonora Bianchi
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Great article on the crown jewel of the New Bedford cultural movement.
U r doing amazing work, can’t wait to see when it’s done 😊👍
Waste of money for a fancy Cocktail lounge
I’m a documentary film enthusiast, maybe the theatre could have a monthly AHA documentary film night.
Free or at a very low price for residents , maybe with a speaker ( elected official, issue activist leader etc. ) for a 15 minute speech , and maybe local music .