Performer Breathes Life Into the Past

Waving a cigarette in the air as she preached Zionism, the woman in the somber suit and sensible shoes recalled the tumultuous day she signed the declaration of independence that created the state of Israel.

“That’s Golda Meir up there,” one man said appreciatively.

Well, not quite.

Beneath the gray-streaked wig, this Golda was a 44-year-old man from Whittier.

A former history teacher, Peter M. Small is a historical impersonator who breathes life into the dead with the help of fake beards, prayer shawls and the occasional pince-nez.

Small regularly transforms himself into historical figures who span the centuries, from Moses to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

This week, Small performed for a group of 30 senior citizens at Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills. The performance seemed to strike a chord with audience members, most of whom had lived through the events described.

“You can accept it more because you can visualize her in the position she was talking about,” said Simon Kurtz, who was born in 1915.

After about an hour spent describing the birth of the Israeli state and her later years as prime minister, Golda Meir waved to the crowd and departed.

Moments later, the door opened and in walked Harry S. Truman, a fresh coat of talcum powder dusting his hair.

The performance was sponsored by OASIS, an organization that offers classes and other programs for adults over 60. The group has more than 2,000 members in the Valley, said OASIS program coordinator Lynn Conrad.

Small began doing historical impressions in 1986, when he was a high school teacher in Maryland.

“I wanted to make the lessons more interesting, something that the kids would remember rather than just a boring lesson,” he said. “I always thought that history was alive.”