SMALL
Written and Performed by Robert Montano
Directed by Jessi Hill
THE ALICE GRIFFIN JEWEL BOX THEATRE AT THE PERSHING SQUARE SIGNATURE CENTER
May 25 – July 27
Tickets available here
Robert Montano shares a wild autobiographical ride about the wears of childhood, family, racism, and the misunderstood life of being a jockey. Montano ignites complex and universal themes of struggle and sacrifice to pursue a passionate dream, first to race horses and then to be a professional dancer. A Rocky story of the racetrack, SMALL is about a boy transforming into a man by following his heart… and his feet.
Article by Zachary Stewart for TheatreMania June 1, 2026
This Penguin Rep Theatre production, now performing a return off-Broadway engagement at the Pershing Square Signature Center, greets the audience with energetic ’70s dance music—Earth, Wind, & Fire and Cheryl Lynn. It primes us for what at first appears like a garden variety confessional solo play about growing up in the tri-state area to eccentric immigrant parents, whom the performer naturally portrays with exaggerated gusto.
A fun-size burst of joy, Montano is a magnetic storyteller, and director Jessi D. Hill builds off that with a production that complements Montano’s natural gifts. We hear the crowd roar as his voice is suddenly transformed into that of a racetrack announcer, and we’re there are the races (the evocative sound design is by Brian Ronan). Jamie Roderick’s lighting is similarly transformative, taking us from a Catholic church pew to a discotheque, even though we’re always staring at Christopher and Justin Swader’s set depicting a horse stable. No one on this creative team is reinventing the wheel vis-à-vis solo performance, but they do put the best polish on a fascinating story that is unlike anything else playing off-Broadway right now.
