George Street Playhouse’s latest one-man play SMALL runs through February 2nd.
Written and performed by actor, playwright, dancer and former jockey Robert Montano and directed by Jessi D. Hill, the Penguin Rep Theater production has received plenty of attention and awards already. SMALL, in 2024 was nominated for a Drama Desk & Outer Critics Circle Award.
SMALL tells the true story of Robert’s career as a jockey and his journey leaving the athletic world to pursue a life in in professional dance. From the racetrack to the stage, Robert shares his extraordinary true story of resilience and reinvention through the highs and lows of an unconventional life.
Montano and director Jessi D. Hill spoke with WBGO's Doug Doyle about the play and why audiences are enjoying it.
Montano wanted to share his story with an audience for a long time, whether it be a book or film, but ultimately he chose to tell it in his own words on stage.
"It's been a gift. I always have my father's voice in my head because when I first started doing readings of this I was a little nervous being in front of an audience. All I hear is my father in my head saying 'just tell your story.' Not everyone gets a chance to tell their story. I was a little reticent about sharing my story because there are so many blemishes and very few victories. But I think that's the average person. There are less people out there that win all the time. There are more underdogs out there that you don't really hear what they've gone through."
Life wasn't so great for Robert in school.
"As a kid I was pretty much bullied because I was smaller than most of the kids in class. I had a little bit of a rough time there. My mother was telling the teachers she was going to pull me from the school if this didn't come to a stop."
Then, Montano, who was born in Bayside, Queens and raised in Hempstead, LI, saw riders ar nearby Belmont Park Racetrack. It opened up a new possibilities for him.
"When I saw these riders, these little men, garnering respect from all these people in the paddock area, I was blown away. Not just that, but to see these immense animals with such power, grace and speed. I was always attracted to speed. I was so enamored and taken by these animals and by these jockeys. From that moment on, I just knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life."
Montano achieved his goal. He became a professional racehorse jockey. However, by 18, he outgrew his silks and had to find another career path. That road wasn't easy.
"It was a struggle. I did not know what to do with my life. I was spiraling down a rabbit hole that I could have gone down in a deeper and worse way with drugs. I wasn't into alcohol. Once I knew that I couldn't make the weight anymore because I hated taking anything to help me like cocaine or speed. Speed was what I could afford at the time, but I stopped it. I never had an affinity for it in a pleasurable way. It was all to help me to lose weight."
That's just the beginning of Robert Montano's story. After watching movies like West Side Story and Saturday Night Fever, he eventually chose to become a dancer. That decision proved to be a huge success. His first opportunity would come in the iconic musical CATS.
Montano would go on to work with great directors and choreographers such as Hal Prince, Rob Marshall, and Jerome Robbins. Robert also had the pleasure of working with the legendary Chita Rivera in Kiss Of The Spiderwoman and he sang and danced with Peter Allen in Legs Diamond.
Montano became extremely close to the late Tony Award-winner and West Side Story actress Chita Rivera.
"I get a little know in my throat sometimes when I talk about, especially because we are coming up to a year anniversary since she passed, on January 30. I knew Chita since 1989 when I was first doing her show called Chita Plus 2. From that moment on, we had not just bceome colleagues but friends. She was just that kind of persona and performer who was so personable. She took me under her wing. She gave me all the love, warmth and support that any performer could imagine from someone of her caliber."
Montano says SMALL director Jessi D. Hill really shaped the show and took it to a new level. Hill believed in the project as soon as she met Robert.
"I've never experienced anything like this piece. I've been directing professional theater for 25 years and have very rarely encountered someone like an artist like Robert really set out to authentically tell an underdog story that every single person who sees it can relate to and be inspired by it. For me, it was a no brainer once I saw him read the piece. As a director that's really exciting to see someone who wants to operate at a very high standard. I'm very much about showcasing actors in my work."
Directing a one-person show is nothing new for Jessi D. Hill.
"I think the challenge but also the gift is the typically one-on-one relationship that you really develop with an artist, as opposed to a musical where you are dealing with 18 people everyday. You get into very personal territory."
Hill has lived and worked as a theatre director, directing and acting teacher for 17 years in NYC. Before moving to NYC, Jessi worked in Chicago for 8 years where she served as Artistic Director of Stage Left Theatre Company, an ensemble-based company dedicated to collaboratively developing and producing new plays that raise debate and challenge perspectives on political and social issues.
Jessi teaches directing at Fordham and Barnard/Columbia University. Giving back is what she's all about.
"I think that I try to be the kind of teacher that I always wanted and to bring my professional experiences to young people who are really serious about doing this."
You can SEE the entire interview with Robert Montano and Jessi D. Hill here.
