ON THE TRAIL with Susan. . .

On April 28, 2001, Susan debuted her new one-woman play, "It Seemed That I Was Inspired," about Oregon newspaper woman and suffragist Abigail Scott Duniway. Susan received rave reviews for her performance. Susan performed for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Oregon Press Women at Timberline Lodge.

Susan also directed a Readers Theatre production for the Oregon Press Women event. "On Wings of Adventure: 50 Years of Oregon Press Women" featured six OPW members portraying five founders and a contemporary member of Oregon Press Women. This production also received rave reviews.

On May 18-20, Susan will be a panel member for the Western Association of Women Historians conference at Lewis & Clark College in Portland. The panel's title: "Take A . . . Western Women's Creative Responses to Their Environment." Susan will speak on food preparation and preservation. She will also present a performance of "Marie Pantalon: The Lady Wore Pants!"

Susan will sing in the Tigard Pops Choir concert on Saturday, June 9 at 3:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in Tigard, behind Davidson's off 99W. Susan will sing a jazz solo. This is great music, with 50 voices, piano, string bass and drums.

Marie poses in the doorway at Les Amis du Val de Thônes. Susan presents a copy of "Women's Voices from the Mother Lode" to the Mayor of Thônes, Jean-Bernard Challamel "Marie Pantalon" visits with Thônes historian Monique Fillion (right) & Léa Fournier, grand-niece of Marie Suize. Street in Thônes where Marie lived with her family before she became a California gold miner. Susan enjoys the beauty of Annecy, "Venice of the French Alps," near Thônes. Susan attended the Jeanne d’Arc Festival in Orleans. Statue of Joan of Arc in Orleans, France Another sight Susan saw: Place de la Concorde, Paris Celebrating the Labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral

~ACROSS THE OCEAN ~ Last year, Susan traveled to Thônes, France, where she performed “Marie Pantalon: The Lady Wore Pants!” The village in Haute Savoie in the French Alps was the home of Marie Suize “Pantalon,” a character from Susan’s latest book, Women’s Voices from the Mother Lode. Marie became a gold miner and winemaker, and was arrested for “cross-dressing.” Susan performed for an audience of several hundred people, including local dignitaries, schools students, and some of Marie’s descendants. The author received a warm welcome from the town and presented a signed book to the mayor of Thônes. The author’s host was Monique Fillion, a Thônes historian who brought Marie’s story to the attention of California Gold Rush historians in the US. Susan and Monique While in France, Susan also visited the Louvre Museum in Paris, attended the Jeanne d’Arc Festival in Orleans, and participated in sessions learning about and celebrating the Labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral. Susan was delighted with the visit of Monique Fillion to the West Coast. The two traveled to San Francisco, Sacramento, and the gold country; and presented a performance of “Marie Pantalon: The Lady Wore Pants!” in Mokelumne Hill. Jeanne d’Arc Festival, Orleans, France Jeanne d’Arc Festival, Orleans, France Susan presented a workshop for the Early Spring Conference of the International Women’s Writing Guild at the Bosch Bahai School in Santa Cruz, California. Her topic: “Writing the Western Landscape.” “Your magic inspired me,” said one participant. In March, 2000, Women’s History Month, Susan presented “Marie Pantalon: The Lady Wore Pants!” for the US Forest Service in Portland. Also in March, Susan traveled to Washington, DC, where she: Attended the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the National Women’s History Project. Presented “Marie Pantalon” at the headquarters of the National Woman’s Party. Signed books at the Smithsonian American History Museum. Presented “Marie Pantalon” at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Click on image for larger view. Susan visited friends at the Carousel in Union Station, Washington, DC Susan met with Betty Friedan, famous author and activist. Also in spring and summer 2000, Susan: Performed “Marie Pantalon” at the Linn County Historical Society in Albany, OR. Taught an Elderhostel class, “Women’s Voices from the Western Frontier,” at Tilikum Retreat Center, Newberg, Oregon. Activities included cowgirl songs, performance of “Marie Pantalon: The Lady Wore Pants!”, field trip to the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and Champoeg State Park. “Susan makes history come alive by her storytelling and lectures. She made everything so interesting!” Taught workshops, “Writing the Western Landscape,” and “Making Your Historical Characters Come Alive” at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland. Gave dramatic, musical presentations at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, OR, and for the Casbah in Lincoln City, Oregon. The Oregonian [July 29 and August 5, 1999 Neighbors section) featured Susan in a long article, “The History Channel: For Susan Butruille, the past wears pants and has a French accent.” Writer Inara Verzemnieks and photographer Stephanie Yao caught Susan’s performances of “Marie Pantalon: The Lady Wore Pants!” in Portland and during the Lincoln County Fair in Newport. The article focuses on Susan’s connection with Marie Pantalon, her Western background, and her commitment to women’s history through writing and performance.

Monique Fillion and Susan were jubilant following their program for the Mokelumne Hill Library in California in September. Larry Cenotto, Amador County Archivist and California chronicler of Marie Pantalon, introduced Monique and Susan, and explained how the story of Marie Suize Pantalon came together in California's gold country. Monique told of her French Alps village of Thônes, France, where Marie came from. Monique showed slides of Thônes and the street where Marie lived, followed by Susan's performance of "Marie Pantalon: The Lady Wore Pants!"