About the Show

Bobby, a Puerto Rican boy, enters the perilous world of horse racing.

SMALL is an autobiographical solo play written and performed by Robert Montano. The work follows Montano’s life from childhood experiences of bullying because of his short stature to his ambition of becoming a horse-racing jockey and, ultimately, his career on Broadway. Through personal storytelling and physical performance, the play explores family, racism, determination, and Montano’s experiences performing in productions including Cats, On the Town, and Kiss of the Spider Woman alongside Chita Rivera.

The production is directed by Jessi D. Hill, whose stage work includes collaborations with companies such as The Public Theater and Ensemble Studio Theatre. Montano, a veteran Broadway dancer and performer, previously worked with notable theatre artists including Hal Prince, Rob Marshall, and Jerome Robbins.

Following an earlier run at 59E59 Theaters, the production returns for a limited Off-Broadway engagement at Pershing Square Signature Center. The play received 2024 nominations from both the Drama Desk Awards and the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Solo Performance.

Critic Reviews (7)

a whip-smart 90-minute coming-of-age story that breaks from the starting gate and races to the finish line a winner by several lengths.
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There’s nothing diminutive about Robert Montano in his tour-de-force solo show, in which the veteran actor and dancer swaggers across the stage playing a multitude of characters with confident, look-at-me-now bravado. ★★★★☆
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"delivers a story that feels tangible and immediate"
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Montano is a dynamic and engaging performer, in an impressive tour de force evening.
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For a previous production

“Directed with finesse by Jessi D. Hill—one almost imagines a riding crop in her hand as Mr. Montano’s boundless energy keeps him in constant motion...While these scenes do not have the compelling power of Bobby’s abortive jockey career, they bring the show to a conclusion that is satisfying without being sentimental, for the simple reason that it is true.”
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For a previous production

"Montano has written the show with just the right amount of drama, action, and humor. Audiences will also appreciate his love of dance that is wonderfully expressed."
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For a previous production

" 'Small' is a moving example of the opposite: the notion that sometimes winning after having exhausted oneself in the attempt doesn’t necessarily represent the most victorious outcome possible. There are preferable alternatives, and thanks to Montano for making the realistically worthy point."
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