Keenan directs play 47 years after she helped launch Glen Ellyn theater

Forgive Sue Keenan if she is a little hesitant to talk about the Glen Ellyn Village Theatre Guild's finances.

Although the theater manages to be self-sustaining, with one performance usually earning enough money to put on the next, she definitely does not want to jinx a streak that has been going since it opened in 1963. In 47 years, no production has ever lost money, she said.

That has allowed decades of both aspiring performers and hobbyists a chance to contribute to theater.

"It's just a group of people doing this creative process all for the same goal," she said. "That's what draws you in."

Keenan will direct the theater's next performance, "Later Life," which begins at 8 p.m. today at the theater, 3S020 Park Blvd.

The story centers around a man and a woman who reunite 30 years after a chance initial encounter.

Although they remember their first meeting vividly, the two discover that life's path has taken them down different roads. But as they find out their differences, similarities also emerge.

As she watches a recent rehearsal, Keenan jots down notes as reminders of what to talk to cast members about after rehearsal. It's an effort to perfect the show before its opening and something Keenan has done since she co-founded the group a short time after working as a production assistant on a television show made during the medium's infancy.

A theater graduate of Bennett College in Millbury, N.Y., Keenan laughs at the memory of her touch of fame during an appearance as "one of the kids in the malt shop" in the soap opera "Young Dr. Malone."

In 1961, her path brought her to the area and she joined the Newcomers Club. Shortly thereafter, several club members branched off and created the theater guild.

At the time, only Western Springs and Wheaton had their own theaters. However, as the years have gone by, more competition has left the theater guild in a precarious, albeit still strong, position. Volunteer numbers are low and Keenan hopes others who share her passion for the craft come out.

"To hear the applause and the comments, you think 'Wow,'" she said. "You touch people's lives in some way."

After a brief time when the guild rented the former schoolhouse for $1 a year, the members finally were able to secure a loan in the mid-1970s to buy the building outright. This gave them much more freedom in their performance choices and allowed them to take risks.

"We had the freedom to do plays like 'Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?' or something that might not be as popular," she said.

At the time, the profanity and sexual themes in "Virginia Woolf" made it a controversial production.

As she has honed her directing skills, Keenan has earned the respect of her peers.

Lynn Walsh, who has been with the theater for more than 30 years, said Keenan was one of the reasons she auditioned for the lead role of Ruth in "Later Life."

"She's a fabulous director and has been here a long time," she said. "She will tell you if something works and if something doesn't work. That's a very important thing."

If you goWhat: "Later Life"When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through April 10; 3 p.m. March 28; 4 p.m. April 10Where: Glen Ellyn Village Theatre Guild, 3S020 Park Blvd.Cast: Charles Bernstein, Larry Boller, Maureen Komperda, Debbie Roberts, Holly Van Horn, Bruce Varner, Lynn WalshTickets: $18Info: (630)469-8230True20001382Charles Bernstein, far left, as Austin, and Lynn Walsh, far right, as Ruth, play the lead roles in "Later Life," a play about two people who reunite after a brief encounter 30 years before.Paul Michna | Staff PhotographerTrue