Biographies, Genealogies and Plays

More books from Susan Hussey Bush . . .

In addition to her worldwide bestselling books on Alpha Five, Susan also enjoys writing about her family.

Alone on Stage

 

 An American enchants Paris

     Susan's grandmother, Suzanne Corbett Steele was a remarkable woman, especially for her time. Firstly, she translated Molière's play, The School for Wives, from French into English and created a monologue in which she played all seven parts, five of whom were men.

     Next, she took her production to France and the Comédie Francaise, known as Molière's house. They were so taken with her that they arranged a performance in Paris. And the French loved her! When she came home, she took her drama to Broadway.

     This book is an inspiration to all, proving that daring and imagination can make dreams come true. It comes with a CD containing Suzanne's translation of the play.

School for Wives, The First English Translation by Suzanne C. Steele

 

1932 translation of famed production refined in Paris at the Comédie-Française

     When Suzanne Steele, a monologist, became interested in Molière in the 1920s, there was no translation of his classic play, School for Wives (L'École des Femmes). Being fluent in French, she created her own and was delighted to be accepted at the Comédie-Française where she refined her script.

     Susan has reproduced her beautiful, lively interpretation, complete with her notes that helped her maintain the seven characters, five of whom were men. While her performance was a monologue, this drama could easily be performed by a full cast.

 

Mayflower to Missouri

 

"He's one of mine, too!"

     Susan and her future husband, Richard, had no idea they were eighth cousins when they met in New York City. Richard's sister, Kathryn Bush, and their mother, Ruth Barrett Bush, had compiled a large store of documents and early photographs of their family. Susan cried aloud when she spotted Christopher Avery, one of their four shared ancestors.

     The many early photographs—some of which date from the mid-1800s—bring the family to life. How many families have such a store—and can identify them? You'll find the entire collection in the book, together with scanned pages from family bibles.

     As a member of the Mayflower Society, Susan was also delighted that she and Richard both have relatives who were passengers on the Mayflower. Proving Susan's link to the Elder William Brewster was manageable because her family went to Connecticut, and stayed put for 300 years. In that state, births, marriages and deaths were faithfully recorded from the earliest years. It was different for Richard's family, however. His family moved from Massachusetts to early Ohio through New York State, where vital records were not kept until after 1900. The challenge became to find an alternate method of proving his link to Stephen Hopkins. As a result of the research detailed in the book, the family plans to seek membership in the Mayflower Society.

     In addition to genealogical information, this book is filled with photographs and stories, making it an interesting, as well as informative reading experience.

     Available in Hard Copy, Book on CD and Electronic Download Edition.