Get Your Shakespeare In The Park Tickets at JCAL This Saturday
Meet One of the Participating Actors in Today’s Blog Post
Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning is hosting ticket distribution for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park on June 6, 2026. In preparation for the event, we’re sharing an interview with Queens native Sergio Mauritz Ang, who will be in Romeo & Juliet as Friar John/Ensemble. Distribution begins at 12 pm.
What's the most rewarding part about what you do?
It is the artists, artisans, and craftsmen I get to meet, learn from and collaborate with. It truly takes a village, faith, and care to make theater happen. And when done mightily, it is the closest thing I believe to what magic is and can be. We go from one family to the next in the theater, and I get to be the most selfless I can be in a rehearsal room, in a fitting, at a tech rehearsal, on or off the stage. That’s the gift that I get to leave with, with every production I get to be a part of.
We read that your family moved to Queens when you were 11 years old, as your parents decided to follow their American Dream. Can you let us know what it was like to arrive in the borough and begin your pursuit as an artist?
New York City regardless of borough is thriving in culture. I’ve been so lucky to have grown up being able to take full advantage of the Arts. As an NYC Kid, my high school took us to go see the opera, Broadway shows, and the Philharmonic, and those experiences not only formed my taste but also nurtured my identity and my artistic voice. From JPAC, APAC, QPAC, Thalia Spanish Theatre, Queens Theatre to Flushing Town Hall and so many more, I’ve been lucky to both be an audience member or a participant …Don’t sleep on Queenz!
What is most exciting to you about Queens now?
Queens is known as the World’s Borough. It is a hot spot for diversity with over 100+ nations represented and a multiplicity of languages spoken. I take so much pride growing up in the Woodside, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights areas. Queens raised me with a wide scope of the world and with compassion and understanding for my fellow immigrant brothers and sisters working tireless 16-hour days. It is where all the cultures melt into one. If you wanna see Queenz, take the 7 train! Not only are the food options boundless but I think if you look long enough, you’ll find home in the eyes of the people you meet.
What should attendees expect from Free Shakespeare in the Park's Romeo & Juliet?
It’s the first time in Free Shakespeare in the Park’s 63-year history to have the romance of the Spanish language spoken on this stage. Our Romeo & Juliet, I believe, offers some hope for a country divided. If our strong ideologies cost us violence and even lives of our children, the people we hold dear, what will it take for us to restore peace, embrace, and shake hands? I also selfishly hope people leave the theater believing in love again. That against all odds, you fight for your seemingly impossible love.
ROMEO & JULIET begins performances at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park on Friday, May 22. Free tickets will be distributed at JCAL on Saturday, June 6. Find more information about ticket distribution and ROMEO & JULIET at publictheater.org.
SERGIO MAURITZ ANG he/they (Friar John/Ensemble). The Public: debut! Select theater: Pride and Prejudice (Hartford Stage), Far Country (Yale Rep), Film: Relay (Blackbear Films). TV: “Crutch” (Paramount+), “Law and Order: SVU” (NBC), “The Other Two” (HBO Max). Love to CLA, BWA, Hubs, 妈妈, Tatay. For Dreamers. MFA: UNC Chapel Hill/Playmakers Rep. BFA: Brooklyn College. LaGuardia Arts High School. sergiomauritzang.com.
