Hostos Alumnus and Professor, Sergio Mauritz Ang ‘11, Joins Cast of Shakespeare in the Park’s Production of Romeo and Juliet

Since its founding in 1968, Hostos has served as a stepping-stone to the world for generations of students. For alum Sergio Mauritz Ang ‘11, the College provided him with opportunities to discover, develop and practice his theatrical skills. Ang has accumulated impressive acting credentials in his post-Hostos years and, in late May, will appear in the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Romeo and Juliet. He’ll be playing Friar John and other characters in the ensemble. This will mark his first appearance with the prestigious Public Theatre, a venerable mainstay of New York’s theatre world.  
Founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 to bring Shakespeare to NYC residents free of charge, this yearly summer event has been an early training ground and showcase for such actors as James Earl Jones, George C. Scott, and Meryl Streep. This is a gig many actors dream of – but fewer achieve. But Artistic Director of the award-winning Hostos Repertory Company and Hostos Theater Professor Ángel Morales never doubted that Ang had the stuff to snag that dream gig.
 
“Sergio has been one of the most outstanding students I have had the privilege to work with,” Morales says. “I still remember taking him to his very first show at Shakespeare in the Park and telling him, ‘One day, I will see you on that stage.’ At the time, it felt like a hopeful promise, but today, that vision has become a reality.”
Ang remembers that experience well. “That perfect summer evening became my first memory of how the power of theatre, of storytelling, under the stars, alongside a thousand-plus New Yorkers can just about transform anyone watching. That opportunity cemented a dream in me of taking my studies seriously and with love.”  
During his time at Hostos Ang took Professor Morales’s acting class and participated in two theatrical productions. The actor credits his former teacher “with a lot of my found purpose and clarity in my life. He leads by setting a great example of what it is to be an artist, an educator, a person of color and a queer person navigating life. Years later, he opened a door for me to be able to teach at Hostos Community College and service our students like I once was.”
 
Morales notes that by serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Humanities Department, Ang embodies the full circle of student success at Hostos:  paying it forward, helping others to achieve their own particular goals. “His story is a powerful testament to how Hostos fosters talent, nurtures ambition, and helps students discover and pursue their passions.”  
Ang’s passion for acting and the skill revealed in Professor Morales’ classes led him to pursue a BFA in Theater at Brooklyn College after he left Hostos. He later earned an MFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina / Chapel Hill. Since then, he has become a union actor, performing in numerous stage productions across the country, as well as in film and television. His credits include Pride and Prejudice (Hartford Stage) and Far Country (Yale Rep). as well as film and television work as Relay (Blackbear Films), “Crutch” (Paramount+), “Law and Order: SVU” (NBC), and “The Other Two” (HBO Max).
 
Ang speaks with great enthusiasm about the production audiences will soon be seeing. “Our production of Romeo and Juliet is soulful, of the now, infuses Latino culture, and also includes the beauty and romance of the Spanish language. I’m proud and honored to be a part of it. And if the Theatre serves to not only entertain but to reflect and interrogate, then I believe our Romeo and Juliet is one to watch.”
 
An acting career requires vast expenditures of heart and soul and energy. Says Morales of his former student:  “His journey has not been accidental; it is the result of hard work, passion, and a willingness to grow. Seeing him stand on that stage now is not just a personal achievement for him, but an inspiring reminder of what is possible when talent meets commitment.”
 
Ang is particularly fond of a piece of Professor Morales’ advice:  “Stick around, because you might miss a sensational moment!” And he adds:  “Luckily I stuck around – and this whole moment right now is beyond sensational.” 
 
Directed by the Public Theater’s Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director Saheem Ali, Romeo and Juliet is scheduled to run from May 22^nd through June 28^th. Performances will take place in Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, which is located near the 81^st Street and Central Park West entrance. For further information, please go to: https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2526/sftc/shakespeare-for-the-city/.