Small
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. [more]