Rising British playwright Matt Charman reveals a fascination with the darker aspects of ‘50s era American society in Regrets, now receiving its world premiere from the Manhattan Theatre Club. But he’s gotten a little too ambitious here, dealing with two fascinating episodes when one would have been more than enough. The results feel at once overstuffed and undernourished.

The play is set in a ramshackle cabin retreat in 1954 Nevada where men can go to fulfill a six-week residency requirement to get quickie divorces. The newest and very atypical arrival is Caleb (Ansel Elgort), who is only 18-years-old and not very forthcoming about the circumstances that have brought him there.

The camp--overseen by Mrs. Duke (Adriane Lenox), an African-American woman who has strict rules and won’t take any gruff--is also the temporary home for the blustery Gerald (Lucas Caleb Rooney); the milquetoast Alvin (Richard Topol); and the apparent lifer Ben (Brian Hutchison) who’s been there for three years. A frequent visitor is Chrissie (Alexis Bledel, of TV’s Gilmore Girls), a young woman who has taken up prostitution to earn the money to get away from her abusive father. But while her steady customer Gerald dreams of running away with her, she’s developed a fixation on the gentle, well-read Ben.

This exotic milieu would seem to present plenty of potential for interesting plot and character dynamics, but the playwright takes things in a different direction. He also weaves the communist witch hunts taking place at the same time into the mix, via a menacing FBI agent (Curt Bouril) investigating one of the men for having Red ties.

 The strained, unconvincing results seem indicative of a playwright who had a good idea, got distracted by another, and attempted to combine them to mostly unconvincing effect. It’s too bad, because the writing—featuring incisive characterizations and nastily funny dialogue—reveals definite talent.

Director Carolyn Cantor--aided by Rachel Hauck’s evocative set design and Ben Stanton’s lighting redolent of the Arizona desert--has provided a production that feels wholly authentic. The performances are for the most part equally lived-in, with particularly fine work by Lenox as the no-nonsense caretaker and Rooney, Topol and Hutchison as the older men who’ve lost their bearings.

NY City Center Stage I, 131 W. 55th St. 212-581-1212. www.nycitycenter.org.  Through April 29.