Zeiterion Theatre

The Zeiterion opened as a vaudeville house in 1922, with 1,226 seats. When it was renamed the State Theatre a year later, it hosted live performances and was the third theatre in New England to offer talking motion pictures. Today, it is a cultural destination for the South Coast area which hosts more than 250 events — theatre, dance, live music, and comedy — per year, including several from its resident companies the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and New Bedford Theatre Festival. The Zeiterion is undergoing a renovation which will update its seating and sightlines, increasing its capacity to 1,325 seats and adding accessibility. The lighting and sound systems and acoustics will be upgraded and enhanced. In addition, the lobbies will be renovated, and an education center will be added. Stages’ scope includes theatre planning, acoustics, and audio-visual design. This project is under construction.