In the opening scene of "Cowboy Versus Samurai," a Wyoming cowpoke recites a telling bit of prose: "Things in nature always hide," he says of the lizards and moths, " … because when you stand out in the world, you invite danger."

It's an insightful observation by the lanky, drawling P.E. teacher Del, but there's just one problem. These words are not his own. They've been scripted for him by his colleague Travis, a smart but timid Korean-American schoolteacher, to help Del win the heart of town newbie Veronica. Certain he has no chance with Veronica himself (for she only dates white men), Travis decides to woo her covertly, revealing his secrets, dreams and passions through the letters he writes on behalf of the dimwitted Del.

If the plot sounds familiar, you're not imagining things. Michael Golamco based his comedy, which Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company is producing this month in San Diego, on Edmond Rostand's 1897 tragicomedy "Cyrano de Bergerac." But instead of a huge nose getting in the way of the hero's self-esteem, it's Travis' own self-loathing about his Asian identity that keeps him from revealing his true self to Veronica.

Yet while Golamco's racially charged dialogue hits the mark squarely, he dodges the arrows in the end, concluding the play with a happily-ever-after ending that feels contrived. Rostand's "Cyrano" makes you laugh, then breaks your heart, and "Cowboy Versus Samurai" delivers on only the first part of that promise.

Kimber Lee directs a strong four-member cast in the local premiere of "Cowboy Versus Samurai," and the production is poetically rendered by scenic designer David F. Weiner.

Warm and likable Volt Francisco stars in the play as Travis, an L.A. native and English teacher who has fled both his past and his heritage to move to rural Breakneck, Wyo., where as the town's only Korean-American, he has grown accustomed to the racial slurs meted out to him by the town's ignorant, all-white residents. Dumped by his white fiancee because of his race, Travis not only accepts the casual racism he encounters in Breakneck, he has come to believe it.

Serving as his angry conscience and polar opposite is Chester, the town's only other Asian-American, who manages the local taco joint and is the militant leader of BAAA (the Breakneck Asian American Association, membership: 2). Adopted by whites at birth from an undetermined Asian nation, Chester celebrates and searches for his heritage, calls Travis a "Twinkie" (yellow on the outside, white on the inside), and chastises his letter-writing efforts for Del as "like a Chinese waiter giving him a fork." Chester is nimbly played by Eric "Pogi" Sumangil, whose comic timing helps release the racial tension that builds up between the characters.

Paul Morgan Stetler steals the show as Del, the none-too-bright, pot-smoking P.E. teacher whose sweetness, simplicity (and fake letters) win Veronica's heart. Stetler's natural delivery and innate likability make his loser character endearing. And Zandi De Jesus has edge and spark as Veronica, the brainy but stand-offish new teacher who becomes the object of everyone's affection.

David F. Weiner's set features a wall of blank panels on which beautifully rendered images of Wyoming's vast open skies are projected. With Jason Bieber's muted lighting, the scenery creates its own mood. Jeremy Siebert designed the sound, Jennier Brawn Gittings created the costumes, and Jennifer Leigh Wheeler is stage manager.

While letters were a standard form of communication in Rostand's day, they're not as realistic today (especially among co-workers at the same school -- why not e-mail?). It stretches credibility for the smart Veronica to believe the poetic novelettes came from the mind of Del, who describes himself ungrammatically as "a dumb." But there is a sweetness to the story and you're willing to suspend disbelief to see where it takes you.

"Cowboy Versus Samurai" runs two hours, with intermission.

"Cowboy Versus Samurai"

When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7-8 and Dec. 13-15; 2 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16

Where: Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company at 10th Avenue Theatre, 930 10th Ave., San Diego

Tickets: $25-$30

Info: (619) 342-7395

Web: www.moolelo.net