Small

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While you may know of the charismatic Robert Montano from his appearances in Broadway musicals, his engrossing one-man show Small is about his earlier career as a jockey from age 12 – 18. As the smallest member of his 7th grade Hempstead, Long Island, class, he was mercilessly ridiculed for being four foot, six inches. However, he found that in horse racing his size was an advantage – until he started to grow. Montano recreates this era for us and voices all of the people he associated with.

Robert was introduced to horse racing when his mother took him to Belmont Racetrack to bet on the horses in order to buy new tiles – but without his father knowing about it. There he is introduced to her friend Robert A. Pineda, a famous jockey, who was five feet, four. At this moment, Montano decided he would become a jockey. That summer there was a couple on his newspaper route who both worked at the racetrack and Robert known as Bobby was allowed to tag along. He felt entirely at home in the stables, and others noticed that he had a way with the horses, especially the difficult ones. Eventually, he is offered a job getting to ride a pony around the shedrow as well as learn from the jockeys and the trainers.

When school starts again that fall, Montano’s father makes a deal with the principal to count his time at the track as gym credit. Pineda insisted that he read the newspapers daily to keep up with what is going on. Then one day he reads that Pineda’s older brother Alvaro, another famous jockey, is killed at Santa Anita and he realizes that this is a dangerous sport. He still has to accept the ribbing from the older staff including one that tells him he has to lose his virginity in order to become a jockey – though he is still only 14. He is finally allowed to ride a race horse while being given lessons by Pineda but his horse is spooked when other racehorses enter the track.

When he is experienced enough to be considered for a race, his new problem is first his weight and then his height: he is not supposed to weight over 105 pounds. He learns about “flipping” which in jockey talk means purging and using cocaine or speed to cut the appetite. At five feet, five, he finds he can’t control his height, but he thinks he can control his weight. He tries daily running and the sauna. He gets his first job “breezing” which is giving a race horse a workout to prepare for an eventual race. This leads to three broken ribs on the very day of his first race as a jockey.

When Pineda leaves to race in Atlantic City, Montaro follows him for the summer where he learns about using Lasix to lose weight but doesn’t count on the side effects. Not getting any work there, he follows Pineda to Delaware Park where he gets his first race, but at 116 pounds he has a good deal of work to get in shape for the weigh in. However, the side effects get worse, and the dangers increase. Eventually at five feet, eight inches, Montano has to give up being a jockey and become an exercise rider the following summer at Saratoga. There everyone went to The Rafters Disco at night to party. A compliment from a woman at the disco leads to his entering a dance contest in Glencove, L.I., where he comes in third, and that is the beginning of his second career as a dancer.

Montaro’s career as an actor allows him to create a different voice and stance for each jockey, trainer and owner that he describes. That is enhanced by the atmospheric sound design by Brian Ronan, and the moody lighting by Jamie Roderick which puts us in the jockey room and track. The pitch perfect unit set design by Christopher Swader & Justin Swader represents both part of the stable and the tack room.

Under the astute direction of Jessi D. Hill, not only is Montaro able to convince us that he is a teenager but we watch him grow up before us as he goes from age 12 – 20. He puts us in the middle of exciting races as he recreates his reactions to being on horseback and eventually to the abuse of his body to keep his weight down. Small is a unique and engaging show from someone who has been there and knows how to recreate this milieu. It is easy to imagine a follow up show where Robert Montano tells us the story of his dance career where he eventually gets to play his dream role of Bernardo in West Side Story, but that would be another story.

Small (through July 25, 2026)

The Penguin Rep

The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W. 42^nd Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit http://www.smalltheplay.com

Running time: one hour and 45 minutes without an intermission