David Hawkins was born in Boston in the 1740s, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Hawkins, and a descendant of Sea Dogs, buccaneers, pirates and privateers going back to the 1500s. His father was a privateer in the War of Jenkins Ear (1739-1744) and fought as a Provincial officer in King George's War (1744-1748). The Hawkins family has always been a mix of merchants, sailors, farmers, and artisans.

David, a troublesome youth, was sent to sea by his father in the early 1750s. At the beginning of the French & Indian War, dissatisfied with the work aboard ship and seeking adventure, David jumped ship and joined Bradstreet's Bateauxmen. Then Captain John Bradstreet was hiring sailors familiar with small boats to transport supplies on the rivers and lakes. These men were handed a musket and a hatchet and told they would have to defend themselves. They fought in many battles in the French War and were divided into military companies. Bradstreet took a liking to the troublesome boy and sent him home in 1765 with the rank of Captain, knowing it would irritate David's peers to no end.

David spent the duration of the 1760s helping his family look after their interests, along the way completing his training at sea. From 1768 to 1769, he worked with Isaac Coltan to track down and arrest counterfeiters then plaguing the northern and middle colonies. During the War for Independence, David served as a privateer.

The Hawkins character was created by David Samuels to give him the freedom to tell the stories of Boston he loves so much, in the way he feels they are best told. Captain David Hawkins is Boston's Irreverent Patriot, a ne'er do well who holds his head high and bows to no man, be he King, Priest or President...

Born in 1757 in the small town of Poplin New Hampshire, Jonathan joined the Amesbury Militia in the summer of 1775. A farm boy at the age of 18, under the command of Colonel John Stark, Jonathan fought at "The Rail Fence" in the Battle of Bunker Hill, 17th of June 1775. Surviving the battle, Jonathan was promoted to Corporal and led men under General Benedict Arnold in the failed campaign to Québec. Jonathan was later captured by Indians and held in Canada until his eventual rescue by a citizen of Boston 2 years later.

Corporal Jonathan Hoyt lives on today through one of his actual descendants, guiding adventures for The Histrionic Academy!

Mistress Freelove Bliss, notorious counterfeiter, eludes the constabulary by hiding out in a den of thieves and sharpers in colonial Boston! Slink with me through alleyways that the gentry avoided, and hear the story of the common people; 'peasants' as they were called by the royal government, but the very same who would go on to "turn the world upside down"!

Silence Barclay is well known around Colonial Boston for being anything but silent. The middle daughter of a well-to-do textile merchant, Silence found herself on her own and alone during the Revolution after informing her father that she was a Daughter of Liberty and wanted no more to do with English goods - nor that Tory shipping clerk to whom she was engaged. Suddenly forced to support herself, Silence became a laundress, took up with an Irishman, and took a room in a boarding house in the stockyard neighborhood of Brighton, all the while leading groups of brave tourists on a journey through Boston's riotous Revolution. AND REMEMBER...

"There is a great difference between being silent and being SILENCE!"

Mary "Polly" Perry was born in 1750 in the proud colony of North Carolina (who, as always, respectfully yields to South Carolina). She was educated as a proper young lady of the upper class. However, her parents died when she was 15 and, having no dowry, she was forced to move to Boston to live with her Aunt Prudence, a milliner. Somewhat of a misfit amongst the Puritans of Boston, Mary, an Anglican, always dreamed of running away to Vienna to sing upon the stage. Instead she became caught up in something even more scandalous than opera- the Patriot cause for American independence. After her aunt's death she took over the shop, but she still loves to perform and gets her fill singing and telling stories for those who come to tour her new found home. She can often be seen hanging about the common with her new found friends- The Sons and Daughters of Liberty. Let the singing milliner, as portrayed by her 9th great granddaughter, guide you past the historic sites of Boston in the most yellow dress in the colonies!

John Billings was born on September 26, 1757, in Salem Massachusetts. He was born to immigrant grandparents from Ireland. John worked a variety of jobs, including a stock position at a general store, blacksmith apprentice, and steeplepainter. As his grandfather lay on his death bed he gave John a recipe for a traditional Irish Stout. As the war of independence was raged, John signed up with the SECOND CORPS OF CADETS, out of Salem MA. When he returned home in 1779 he was a decorated soldier, having served in Fry’s Regiment at the battle of Bunker Hill. He got right to work on his new job brewing beer. After he worked out the kinks, the beer was sold to different taverns across New England. BillStout, as it was known, was a favorite among many of our forefathers, including Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin. Today his character is played by a proud Irish-American.