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The Penguin Rep Theatre production of SMALL, written by and starring Robert Montano, is officially open at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center. The production is directed by Jessi D. Hill.
SMALL, which was nominated for 2024 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Solo Performance, is written by and starring Robert Montano. It traces his deeply personal journey from childhood dreams of becoming a jockey to ultimately finding his voice and identity dancing on Broadway in such shows as On the Town, Cats, and Kiss of the Spider Woman opposite Chita Rivera.
Out of the gate, Robert Montano dreamed of being a jockey. His size had always felt like a liability, especially as a bullied boy in school, but on the track, being SMALL was his biggest asset. He would endure anything and sacrifice everything just to touch the turf, but quickly discovered the high expectations and impossible standards that come with a life in the saddle. See what the critics are saying…
Thom Geier, Culture Sauce: But the show’s greatest resource is Montano, who exploits his physicality to great effect — whether straining to drop pounds, crossing himself as his devout mother in prayer, or hunched over a thoroughbred visibly struggling to maintain control. Small lifts you into the saddle and challenges you to hang on for a bumpy but exhilarating ride.
Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Theatre Guide: Beyond the overwrought, performative opening stretch of the work directed by Jessi D. Hill, Montano deserves credit for his messy-but-real coming-of-age tale set in the ’70s. Over 100 minutes, he shares how his pint-sized stature as a kid got him bullied and benched his West Side Story-inspired dreams of being a dancer. Once his mother took him to the Belmont Park racetrack, he was bent on a career of a different color. He’d determined he was born to be a jockey.
Randall David Cook, The Recs: It’s a late-story turn with approximately 20 minutes of showtime to go, a swerve that wasn’t set up in the early sections of the play, making it feel tagged on. Suddenly a play about a dream to become a horse jockey transitions to one about haphazardly becoming a dancer, and finding success in that arena. As a human, you’re happy he found his place and true calling, but as an audience member, you wish the show’s dramaturgy were stronger.
Average Rating:
70.0%
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