In theater as in politics, timing is everything. To keep a cozy relationship with the press, how much confidential info should be shared with a favorite reporter and when? When should an ambitious campaign flak abandon a flagging candidate and sign on with a winner? And exactly when is it a good idea to bed an intern? These are the questions that drive playwright Beau Willimon’s Farragut North, currently in production at Gablestage.

Trouble is, the timing is off for the ambitious young press secretary whose rise and fall are at the center of Farragut North. And in this production, the timing is mostly off for the young actors as well. The thrill of backroom politics comes from the intensity, the fast-pace, and the occasional slow burn. Yet there is not enough connection among the actors here to convey the frenzy of the campaign trail. Betsy Graver’s ditzy intern and David Hemphill’s wide-eyed underling lack the bite those characters could have had if played with more ambition, blunting the impact of Nick Dugart’s fall.

Not surprisingly, the veterans fare best. Gregg Weiner and Tom Duffy come of as cool and calculating as rival campaign managers calming weaving a web around their young victim. Just like the characters they portray, these old hands have a lot to teach their younger counterparts. Then again, these days, it may be too much to ask for the stage to outdo the campaign trail for sheer theatrical power.

Farragut North runs through January 24 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm and 7pm at Gablestage, in the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables; $37.50 -$45.00; (305) 445-1119; www.GableStage.org.