In his program notes, playwright Yokanaan Kearns declines to say much about his new play, "Quiptease," now in its world premiere production at Hawai'i Pacific University in Käne'ohe.

He does say that it is about destiny and that any more would reveal a major plot twist.

So this review won't disclose Kearns' secret, except to say that that it's a disappointing manipulation that doesn't successfully clear up the muddle that pervades the entire first act. And "destiny" is a weak rationalization.

The pivotal character is Henry (Larry Bialock), an ex-Navy captain suffering from early dementia who pages through battleship picture books and listens to "Victory At Sea" soundtrack LPs.

His daughter Gwendolyn (Danielle Zalopany) has returned home to care for him, since her mother Felicia (Stacy Ray), a lifelong free spirit, has deserted her husband and gone into hiding. Gwendolyn brings along a friend (Duncan Dalzell) to help box up and store her mother's curios.

Then who should return but mother Felicia — fresh from a stay in Kamuela and towing along a new boy-friend (Ron Encarnacion) and his grown son (Jake Elder). The event seems to trigger something in Henry, who begins to speak in tongues or, more precisely, to paraphrase ancient Roman poetry.

Just as things begin to heat up, the wife (Denise-Aiko Chinen) of the Hawaiian man bursts into the room wearing full police regalia, pulls a service revolver and puts the whole shebang on lockdown.

Cut to intermission. It's clear that the play is a farce, but could it be that someone has written himself into a corner? Not quite.

Act 2 begins to undo the confusion by filling in the big holes in the plot — aided by that secret twist that shouldn't be revealed. But as Kearns forces the final puzzle pieces into place, we're not willing to forgive the characters for their bad behavior or for having been dishonest about themselves.

The best character in the bunch is Chinen's policewoman, because she gets the most laughs from the thorough conviction she brings to her preposterous action.