New Bedford Festival Theatre Earns Major State Tax Credit

So far, 2026 has started out as a pretty good year for the New Bedford Festival Theatre. First, the theatre company is returning to its original venue, the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. Second, the Festival Theatre has been awarded a Mass Live Theatre Tax Credit for this calendar year.

Festival Theatre Artistic Director Elizabeth Bettencourt talked about both issues during an appearance this week on Townsquare Sunday.

Bettencourt has been involved with the Festival Theatre since 1995, performing various roles through her high school and college years. She left the area for a while but returned several years ago, and was invited to serve on the NBFT's Board of Directors, which she happily did.

"I took over their educational programming for awhile, then I directed a few shows for them," Bettencourt said. "Now I've stepped up to Artistic Director and I'm running the company, so it's been a full-circle history for me."

New Massachusetts Theatre Tax Credit Program

This is the first year the Commonwealth has awarded Mass Live Theatre Tax Credits to theatre companies in Massachusetts. The goal is to expand live theatre around the state. Bettencourt said the application process was extremely competitive.

"About 25 theatre companies were selected to receive the tax credit, and we were so proud to be one of them," she said.

How the Tax Credit Will Help New Bedford Festival Theatre

"Once our summer production wraps up, we will send to the state our finalized production budget," Bettencourt said. "The tax credit will provide funding to offset a certain percentage of our costs, including part of our payroll, production expenses, and transportation."

"As an arts organization, we are not swimming in money, so for this new tax credit program to support us this year with some of our expenses is quite huge for us," she said.

‘Escape to Margaritaville’ Coming to New Bedford This Summer

Bettencourt said the cast is about to be finalized for this year's big production, Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville, scheduled for July at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center.

"We knew it was going to be our first big show back at the Zeiterion after its lengthy renovation, and we thought we should put on a show that feels like a big summer party," Bettencourt said. "There's nothing that says 'summer party' like the songs of Jimmy Buffett."

Bettencourt added that a steel drum band will be playing outside "The Z" before every one of the eight performances, just to get folks in the mood.

Tickets are now on sale at the Zeiterion box office or at the New Bedford Festival Theatre website.

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