Historical Character Presentations
A Remarkable Repertoire of Historical Characters
“Jim's Chautauqua presentations are based on his deep research into the life experiences of the historical character. His strong physical presence and committed performance bring his characters to life ... audiences begin to emotionally connect and better understand people whose lives and times differed greatly from their own. ”
Cathy Boggs
Lecturer in Communication and Academic Coordinator, Retired; University of California, Santa Barbara
James Beckwourth, Western explorer and mountain man
Frederick Douglass, American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman
Thaddeus Dunkley, early Western cowboy,
Lt. Henry Flipper, Buffalo Soldier, mining engineer, expert on Spanish land grants
Willem Alexander Leidesdorff, merchant, land developer, founder of San Francisco
Alexander Pushkin, Russian poet laureate, novelist, playwright, political activist
Alexandre Dumas, French revolutionary War general, rival of Napoleon
Francois Dumas, New Orleans haberdasher, Civil War soldier, politician
Kamal Mustapha Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, WWI general, victor at Gallipoli
Col. Benjamin O. Davis, leader of Tuskegee Airmen, first Black USAF general
General Benjamin O. Davis. first Black US Army general
Col. Charles Young, superintendent of Yosemite, member of Mexican Punitive Expedition
Maj. Martin Delaney, Civil War soldier, author, judge, doctor, civil rights activist
Mathew Hensen, Arctic explorer
Rev. Lemuel Haynes, theologian, poet, Revolutionary War Minuteman at Lexington
Dr. Percy Julian, chemist who discovered synthetic steroids
Emperor Haille Sailasse, Ethiopia
Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court, civil rights lawyer
Dr. Ralph Bunche, UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs
Mansa Musa, King of Mali Empire, richest man in history
Mohamed Ibin Battuta, scholar, historian, geographer, medieval traveler
General Louis Franchet D'Espery, WWI Commander of French 5th Army and Allied Armie d'Oriente
General George S. Patton, WWII US Army General
RECENT LIVING HISTORY PRESENTATIONS
- “Fredrick Douglas” -- Feb. 8, 2023, Museum on Main, Pleasanton, CA
- “Dr. Ralph Bunche" -- Feb. 28, 2023, Cal State University San Jose
- “William Alexander Leidesdorff” -- Summer 2023, Sacramento History Museum
SEE FOR YOURSELF!
Enjoy this performance by Jim Armstead of General Geroge S. Patton, filmed on 27 Feb, 2025, at the Railroad Memorial Theater and Arts Center in Pleasanton, CA, sponsored by Museum on the Main.
And this presentation of Galileo..
At the 2023 Ed Kinney Speaker Series at the Museum on Main.
In the Chautauqua tradition, prepared character performances are followed up by live question and answer session. Jim's authentic costumes, historical scholarship and remarkable storytelling bring the teaching of history alive through the voices of real people who lived through interesting times.