It takes a moment to get into the spirit of 'Ohi'a Productions' third staging of “;The Princess and the Iso Peanut.”; It isn't easy to accept the efforts of a new actor in the central role of abrasive Queen Yumiko, the character developed and portrayed by the late Lisa Matsumoto in the first two productions.

Give Stephanie Kuroda an “;E”; for effort for accepting the impossible task of following Matsumoto in playing Queen Yumiko of Yamamoto.

The queen, with Queen Alana of Allyria (Jennifer Cleve Sajot), takes turns recalling how Prince Yoshi (Nolan Hong) met Princess Alexis (Sallie Carey) and fell in love.

It's all told in flashbacks, so there's no concern as to whether Alexis will find a way out of an arranged marriage, survive an encounter with pirates and pass the “;princess test”; in this pidgin version of “;The Princess and the Pea.”;

The members of the Yamamoto kingdom are pidgin-speakers who represent everyday people in Matsumoto plays. They use local slang but observe Japanese traditions such as the “;banzai!”; cheer at weddings. All of them, except Queen Yumiko, wear casual aloha print fashions.

The Allyrians speak standard English and sport a hodgepodge of medieval European and 18th-century dress.

The pirates are also of 18th-century vintage; they speak with Cockney accents.

Several veterans of the 1999 and 2000 productions are key to the success of this one. Dion Donahue's command of dialects, comic timing and physical comedy makes him the spark plug of several scenes. Eddy Gudoy (Nathan) and Neil N. Furukawa (Russell) reprise their polished performances as Prince Yoshi's retainers, and Amy Tamaribuchi (Janice) returns from the Y2K cast as the local girl who can also speak standard English “;because my cousin went to Punahou.”;

Other noteworthy veterans include Zan Timtim (Princess Titaele) playing a stereotypical tita to comic effect, Clint R. Sekioka (Prince Chah Ming Won) in a cameo as a character from another Matsumoto play, and Dwayne T. Fujitani making minimalism entertaining as deadpan King Yuichi.

Male actors dressed as women are staples in Matsumoto comedies. Charles Kupahu Timtim (Princess Eteokalani) caps a tremendous comic performance with Hong by going out into the audience in search of a man.

Allan Y. Okubo (Uncle Masa) is worth watching even when he is observing others in action. Darah Dung (Princess Jeanette) and Denby Dung (Princess Jacqueline) are instant audience favorites as venomous princesses who envy Alexis' arranged marriage to a hunky, wealthy European prince.

Clara Bowden-Kerby (Isabel) deserves sympathy for taking on the role originated by Stephanie Sanchez; Sanchez set the bar so high that she too is impossible to match.