LOWELL — Playwright John Kolvenbach has staked his claim on quirky. His dark comedies follow the wacky adventures of individuals out of synch with the rhythms of society, either by choice or circumstance, particularly in matters of love. In his newest farce, “Half ’n Half ’n Half,” now getting a world premiere at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, he sets the action in a theater, with scenes that take place both onstage and in the dressing rooms.

The most hilarious moments in the play come when the actors shift from their offstage characters into their onstage characters, but “Half ’n Half ’n Half” always feels like a disjointed collection of funny fragments rather than a coherent comedy.