PRESS RELEASE: Rialto Spotlight Series Continues with Westfield Native Playwright Marc Acito

The February 12 event opens a conversation on how to transform lived experiences into performance art.

WESTFIELD, NJ – January 2026 – The Rialto Center for Creativity’s Spotlight Series continues into 2026 with an event that brings playwright, novelist, and humorist Marc Acito back to his hometown to discuss his decades-long creative career, which spans Broadway, The New York Times, NPR, and more. The event will take place on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Rialto Center for Creativity. 

Born in Bayonne and raised in Westfield, Acito graduated from Westfield High School in 1984, going on to study musical theatre at Carnegie Mellon University and later earning his bachelor’s degree from Colorado College. 

Acito is the author of numerous plays and novels. In 2004, he wrote  How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater, based on his time in Westfield. In 2012, he wrote the play Birds of a Feather, which won the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play, and the libretto Allegiance, which won the 2012 Craig Noel Award for Outstanding New Musical and opened on Broadway in 2015, starring George Takei and Lea Salonga. 

His other works include his musical adaptation of E.M. Forster's A Room With a View, the concert adaptation of Paint Your Wagon for New York City Center's Encores!, and numerous pieces for The New York Times, Portland Monthly, and NPR’s All Things Considered. 

During his Spotlight Series appearance, Acito will look back on how his upbringing in Westfield shaped his creative pursuits, how to keep creativity alive in a decades-long career, and what he hopes a creative center like the Rialto can bring to the community. 

“Marc’s creative career is a powerful testament to what happens when we allow creativity to flourish. He’s produced a diverse catalogue of impactful work, never restricting himself to one domain and always adding something interesting to the conversation,” said Bill Crandall,  president of the Rialto Board of Trustees. “We’re thrilled to have him back home to talk about his work, including projects that were inspired right here in our town.”

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026

• Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

• Location: Rialto Center for Creativity, 250 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ

• Tickets: Available beginning January 16, 2026, at www.rialtowestfield.org/events

• Recording: A digital recording will be available after the event.

Seating is limited, and community members are encouraged to purchase tickets early. Audience questions may be submitted in advance via Instagram and Facebook for consideration during the conversation.

Spotlight Series: Showcasing the Vision for the New Rialto

The Rialto Spotlight Series is a limited series event that brings the community together, shines a light on creative luminaries from Westfield and the surrounding area, and introduces the vision for the Rialto Center for Creativity. As artists, thinkers, and storytellers with ties to Westfield share their stories and describe what creativity means to them, we’re building excitement and momentum for the Rialto Reimagined campaign, which will support the opening of the Rialto in fall 2028.

In January, we invited Mike Emanuel,  journalist and chief Washington correspondent, back to his hometown to talk about his road from Westfield to Washington and advice he has for young journalists. Catch up on Mike’s event here.

About the Rialto Center for Creativity

The Rialto Center for Creativity is transforming Westfield’s historic Rialto Theater into a vibrant hub for cultural conversation, live performances, and hands-on learning. Guided by values of creativity, inclusion, and community, the Center will host performances, film screenings, exhibitions, workshops, and classes in a welcoming, flexible space designed to inspire. 

The project is part of the Rialto Reimagined campaign, which will fund construction and operations through government support, private donations, and future earned revenue streams. Construction is set to begin in 2026, with the grand reopening anticipated in fall 2028.

Visitwww.rialtowestfield.org for more information.