‘Teeing Off’ Takes Swings at ‘90s PC Pieties

The spirit of Hop Sing lives in Christopher Hart and Geoffrey Grode’s inane comedy “Teeing Off” at the Hudson Avenue Theatre.

This supposedly raucous satirical comedy purportedly pokes fun at the pieties of political correctness and deals with the issues of race, gender and homophobia.

Conceited, philandering, has-been TV series star Ryan (Clint Carmichael), his neurotically insecure accountant brother Crunch (David Youse), abrasive radio shrink Stuart (Patrick Cronin) and the shy, trying-to-become-hetero gay friend Dane (Donald Shenk) are golf buddies in Los Angeles.

The first act consists mainly of their banter about women and one another. When Dane dies, struck down by an errant golf ball, the threesome is joined by a wincingly stereotypical Japanese businessman, Hirohito Pontiac, played by Shenk like an unabashed tribute to the Hop Sings and Charlie Chans of another era.

In the second act, the men play the women they’ve been discussing, with Youse playing Mrs. Pontiac. Intriguing? Could have been if Hart and Grode didn’t settle for gimmicks over good writing and if Hart, as the director, had fleshed out the roles.

The darkly emotional elements (suicidal thoughts, career sabotage, death) aren’t adequately prefaced or followed through.

This play works only for those who truly believe that men are from Mars and women are from Venus and that Asians still come from this mysterious place of wisdom once called the Orient. Beam me up, Scotty. There are no intelligent life forms here.

* “Teeing Off,” Hudson Avenue Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Ends Nov. 9. $18. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.