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Sunday, January 26, 2025

REVIEW: RACECOURSE DRAMEDY "SMALL" A WINNING TICKET @ GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE

By Ruth Ross

Just a few moments after the stage lights go up on the racetrack drama, Small, currently gracing its stage, it’s evident that the George Street Playhouse has hit a trifecta—not a winning bet on horses in the win-place-show order but a play conceived, written and performed by a solo actor, Robert Montano!

Small is the true story of Montano’s resilience and reinvention through an unconventional life. Once a wannabe jockey grappling with the pressures and struggle to stay “SMALL,” if not in height, at least in weight, Montano overcame immense odds to pursue a new passion: professional dance.

For 90 intense minutes, “Bobby” Montano speaks nonstop, impersonating a myriad of characters other than just himself, and moves with grace and energy around the set—a Belmont Park tack room designed by Christoper Swader and Justin Swader and lit by Jamie Roderick—as he recounts his career path to become a horseracing jockey, that is, until nature ends that dream, leading him to pursue another, leading to the theater.

Director Jessi D. Hill’s steady hand keeps Montano, and the plot, moving along inexorably without feeling rushed. At the age of 12, the 4-foot 6-inch, 70-pound Montano suffers bullying for his size and prays to grow tall, until his Puerto Rican mother surreptitiously takes him to nearby Belmont Park where, upon seeing the small riders afraid of nothing, he discovers a new calling: jockeying!

As he leads us through his tale, Montano takes us to the track, mimicking the trumpet call to post; the race caller; Buster, the ornery groom; Jack, the Southern redneck; head trainer Mickey Prager; and ace jockey Robert A. Pineda, who takes Bobby under his wing and teaches the kid the ropes, among others. Montano makes the experience come alive for us as he crouches near a bale of hay as though riding a horse, while Brian Ronan’s splendid sound design enhances the effect with the clopping of horses’ hooves, the roar of the crowd, and the heavy breathing as Bobby gets to ride Adam’s Action in his first race! If you ever wondered just what great sound design adds to a performance, Ronan shows us.

The need to stay small—105 pounds no matter what his height—leads Bobby to take drugs (“Black Beauties”—methamphetamine—and Lasik) and indulge in oddball practices to lose weight quickly, sometimes 10 pounds in one day! Fortunately, the growing Montano finds a career in dance, going from the disco to college on a full scholarship.

While Small may be a 90-minute play performed by a solo actor on a spare set, it’s anything but inconsequential. This is a stirring coming-of-age story about a scrappy youngster who, like Rocky, fights to attain his dream. And when that fails, he reinvents himself to great accomplishment and acclaim.

I love the racetrack, with its majestic steeds; colorful silks; the buzzy, expectant atmosphere as bets are placed and the race begins; and the crowd frenzy as the horses round the oval toward the finish line.

Yet, I had never thought much about the riders—small, childlike, lightweight men—who struggle constantly with their weight and face danger every time they leave the starting gate. Indeed, Robert Pineda was killed when his horse, involved in a chain reaction collision at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, tossed his rider, who was then kicked in the head down on the ground.

Robert Montano’s performance at George Street Playhouse is a tour de force, an impressive “feat of strength” notable for the energy he expends (I’ll bet he loses weight every performance), his acting and writing chops, and his ability to make us feel as though we are there, experiencing it with him.

Kudos to George Street Playhouse for bringing Small to New Jersey audiences. It’s perfect for the intimate theater. Whether or not you love the racetrack like I do, you won’t want to miss this extraordinary piece of theater. It’s funny. It will make you think. It will thrill you. At the end you will experience the catharsis beloved of Greek playwrights and philosophers: your spirits will be lifted and your faith in humanity restored. And that’s a winning ticket!

Small will be performed at the George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, through February 2. For information and tickets, call the box office at 732-246-7717 or visit www.georgestplayhouse.org online.