When Mark Torres steps onto the stage for the opening night of A.R. Gurney’s two-person romance “Love Letters” at Penobscot Theatre, he will not be giving his usual pre-performance welcome-to-the-play speech. Instead, he will be making a rare acting appearance in the two-person piece about Andrew (Torres) and his life-time epistolary relationship with Melissa, played by veteran actor Sharon Zolper.

For those who have seen Torres onstage locally – as Salieri in “Amadeus” and as a feisty Spaniard in “A Flea in Her Ear” – know the producing artistic director is also an acting talent. But Torres is quick to admit that, despite the fun of doing a show, he was looking forward to greeting the audience in his administrative capacity to deliver another kind of love letter: one of thanks.

Earlier this year, when the theater experienced a near-death episode due to financial instability, the community rallied around Torres and his goal to raise $250,000 in fewer than four months. While the final count last month of $241,000 was just shy of that goal, it was enough to send the message to Torres that Bangor theatergoers want the local performing arts institution to thrive.

The curtain speech would allow him to make a public statement of gratitude. That will have to wait until next month’s production of “The Miracle Worker,” William Gibson’s real-life drama about Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. But make no mistake about it: Torres has one word he is sure to use when he finally does step up to speak.

“Grateful,” he said recently. “I feel like the theater is at that place at the end of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ when George Bailey finds out how many friends he has. Though it’s the end of the movie, it’s the beginning of another story for Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed and little Zuzu. We still have a lot of work to do at the theater. That’s no different from any other day. But we feel affirmed.”

Since the kickoff of the Penobscot Theatre Extraordinary Friends Campaign, the donor base has more than doubled, said Torres. The season, which once ran from January to December, has returned to the more manageable and user-friendly seasonal calendar opening in September and running through May.

Torres is particularly excited about returning to a five-show season. In addition to the two fall shows, he will also produce Edward Albee’s classic American drama “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in February, Yasmina Reza’s 1998 Tony Award winner “Art” in March and the New England premiere of Marcus Lloyd’s two-person thriller “Dead Certain” in April.

Winterport resident and actor-director Adam Kuykendall, who performed in the summer run of “The Fantasticks,” will direct the holiday show “A Christmas Carol.” Other guest directors include new comer Don Jordan for “The Miracle Worker,” and veteran director Chris Dolman – whose previous Penobscot credits include “Jack and Jill” and “The Odd Couple” – for “Art.” Designers for costumes, sets and light will be hired on a show-by-show case.

While each of the plays has a money-saving small cast, Torres said that he did not feel as if he had to trim his artistic goals to stay within budgets. Additionally, Torres is determined to invest up to 10 percent of show revenues to begin what he calls a “savings account” to assure a financial cushion in the future.

There have, of course, been sacrifices. Two administrative jobs have been eliminated, the Maine Shakespeare Festival has been indefinitely canceled, and touring productions of classics are no longer available to schools. Torres likes to use the word “focus” to explain the changes.

“Even though these have been tough times, we haven’t lost the focus on our aspirations to grow,” said Torres. “Look , the theater is in better shape than it has ever been, thanks to the large influx of support. But when it comes to the artistic side, nothing has changed. We have always kept our focus on the shows. It’s just that now we will put more into the individual projects. We want to get back to our core work of providing professional theater for people who live here.”

Torres said he will be taking on more administrative duties and relying on a staff of three others plus interns to keep the business end running. And, he added, he looks forward to the moment when he gets to step in front of the stage and say thanks to Bangor.

“I’m extremely grateful,” said Torres. “I’ve always felt we have a partnership with our audiences, that they aren’t passive recipients but part of the whole production. So it’s an affirmation that they are willing to do their part. Now we have to sustain that.”

Penobscot Theatre presents “Love Letters” Oct. 1-12 at the Opera House at 131 Main St. in Bangor. For information, call 942-3333 or logon to www.Penobscot Theatre.org. Alicia Anstead is a Style Desk writer. She can be reached at anstead@bangordailynews.net.