Meet the Shirts

Rebecca Bayreuther Donohue

For over twenty years, Rebecca built research and programming at a major maritime museum. Now she practices and teaches living history in a variety of time periods and media, including the recreation of period clothing, material culture, lifestyles, and events. Last year’s favourite Christmas present from her husband was a custom mask chain bearing the legend CAN YOU DOCUMENT IT. A lifelong resident of the southeastern Connecticut shoreline, Rebecca is happiest with a set of knitting needles, a pair of oars, or a primary source in her hands.

Theresa Giard

Theresa began volunteering at historic sites at a young age with the help and encouragement of her sister and her group of friends (one of whom is DBS founder, Rebecca). Since then, Theresa has worked toward completing a Master's Degree in History and spent three years working as a public historian and tour guide in Salem, Massachusetts. Her interests include early New England history and the Colonial Revival Movement and its continued impact on our historic and heritage sites.

Giard, Theresa, & Shea, Margo (2026). Salem: Allowing the Past to Haunt Us on Our Terms. In Donna A. Seger & Brad Austin (Eds.), Salem's Centuries : New perspectives on the history of an old American city. Temple University Press. https://lccn.loc.gov/2025045544 

Liz Hannan Kading

Liz’s fascination with “the olden days” began when she first read the Little House books as a schoolgirl. As an adult, she enjoyed demonstrating traditional maritime skills and crafts in a living history museum setting for fourteen years. She is an accomplished historic researcher, tour guide, and speaker who has presented on subjects ranging from slavery in New England to topics in Irish history, language, and culture. Liz is a Maritime Studies Dept. faculty member at UConn—Avery Point, where she teaches about maritime culture.

Alyssa Potter

Alyssa’s interest in history was sparked from the moment she first saw the animated film Anastasia as a child (her high standards for historical accuracy came later). Her degree in Maritime History fueled that fire, and it continued to burn throughout a decade of international archaeological field studies and museum work. As an 18th and 19th century Foodways Specialist, Historic Costumer, Tall Ship Sailor, and occasional Blacksmith she loves exploring the everyday moments in history- most of which were pretty dirty.

Katy Roberts

Born and raised in New England, Katy loves an adventure. Living in Norway as an exchange student in high school and visiting a living history museum as a young child foreshadowed her future passion and profession. She started her college journey in Colorado before settling at the University of Rhode Island with a degree in theatre and a minor in English. Theatre, music, sewing, teaching and her family fuel her desire to retell the stories of the past.

Amanda Flynn Rumney

Amanda approaches living history as an archaeologist, teacher, writer, and genealogist. When not crocheting or cataloging some old thing, she combines her experiences in education, material culture, and document-based research to create unique living history experiences. She actively draws inspiration for her stories from her travels and her own family history. An avid photographer and graphic designer in her youth, Amanda also serves as DBS webmaster. In 2015, she received her MA in Archaeology – Museum & Artefact Studies from Durham University in the UK.

Nathan Rumney

Nathan Rumney is an actor, director, playwright, and producer with over seventy theatrical productions under his belt over the course of his nearly two decades in the field. His inherent penchant for the natural sciences, love of mythology, and plunges into philosophy has greatly influenced his previous and current roles in portraying living history. He derives his greatest joy from bringing education and entertainment together for the enjoyment and benefit of audiences of all ages!