BANGOR – Penobscot Theatre Company embarks on its 2003-04 season with A.R. Gurney’s unusual and inventive human comedy, “Love Letters,” which will run Oct. 1-12 at the Bangor Opera House, 131 Main St.

“Love Letters” tells the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, whose poignantly funny friendship and ill-fated romance takes them from second grade through adolescence, maturity and into middle age.

The two characters are represented by their correspondence which begins with acceptance of a child’s birthday party invitation and thank-you notes and traverses the rough and varied terrain of life’s journey through letters from far-flung locales, birth and marriage announcements, confessions and professions of longing and love.

The play has been performed all over the world and has enjoyed great success considering its simplicity of structure. “Love Letters” first was performed in New York in 1989.

Half-price performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, and Thursday, Oct. 2. Opening night is 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. The theater also will offer a pay-what-you-wish performance of “Love Letters” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Dates, times and tickets for all of Penobscot Theatre’s current productions may be obtained by calling 942-3333 or visiting the box office between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Bangor Opera House, 131 Main St. Information also is available at www.PenobscotTheatre.org.

“Love Letters” is produced in part with support from media sponsors The Maine Times, the Bangor Daily News, WLBZ 2, WEZQ 92.9 and WZON 107.3, and production sponsor Farrell, Rosenblatt & Russell.