The Dispatch, a revolutionary tale

Did you enjoy this story? Let us know your favorite moments. THE DISPATCH SILVER SERIES (ages 12 to ADULT) 45 minutes Copyright © 2026 by P. Haines-Ainsworth produced by Winking Kat Books "THE DISPATCH" is an original, one-act play about a printer, John Gaines, who lives in New York City with his family in 1776. Although he supports the movement rebelling against the oppressive government of King George III, his criticism has been tempered. On the evening of July 8th, however, a messenger arrives to deliver a dispatch from the Continental Congress and a personal request from Dr. Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, an acquaintance from John's youth, wants John to print as many copies of the dispatch and distribute the printed copies to the rebellion's supporters in Manhattan. The dispatch is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, passed just four days before in Philadelphia. Gaines is in a precarious position, however. General Howe and his brother Admiral Howe are staging their forces on nearby Staten Island and preparing to attack the city any day. General Washington is staging his defense on Long Island, but may not have the means or the men to protect the city. If John prints the Declaration, and the British take the city, he could be arrested and hanged for treason. If he decides not to print the Declaration, an important message as well as source of hope and motivation to patriots in the city will never reach them. What will he choose to do? His fate and the fate of his family hangs on the balance. AUTHORS NOTE: John Gaines is a composite character of two actual printers who lived and worked in New York during the American Revolution. They were Hugh Gain, an immigrant from Ireland who was a journeyman for James Parker, a friend of Benjamin Franklin, and John Holt, a printer and strong supporter of independence who printed 500 copies of the Declaration of Independence in early July 1776 and distributed them around the state. 'THE DISPATCH', a revolutionary story. by P. Haines-Ainsworth. CAST: John Gaines (Lantz Wagner), Nell Gaines (Patricia Haines Ainsworth), Captain Thomas Wilkerson (Drew Hobson), Samuel (Pranav Varma), Gem (Tatiana Wyckoff), and Elias Cooke (Adrian Cerrato) The Music for this episode was provided by HESPERUS, an early music and traditional music ensemble. It was founded by Scott Reiss and Tina Chancey in 1979 to play early European music, American traditional music and crossover fusions of the two. The group has created the Early American Music series for Maggie's Music-- featured in museums stores such as America's Smithsonian Institute and Colonial Williamsburg. Their recordings can also be found on Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music, and other media outlets. This episode was recorded at Top of the Hill Studios in Duvall, WA (sound engineer, Steven Bell) TO FIND MORE AUDIO STORY EPISODES AND GENERAL INFO, VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WINKINGKATTALES.COM Winking Kat Tales is a proud member of the Dramafy Audio Play (dramafy.com) network. Tags: #winkingkattales #originalplays #history #audioplay Support the show Stories to fuel your imagination.