Playing Hardball
by Don Kukla

Set in the competitive atmosphere of a basketball court, this inventive and powerful drama pits two brothers against each other as they battle the substance abuse that threatens to tear apart their family.

Introverted Dan, 16, confronts his 20-year old brother Dave about his and their father's drinking problem.

The athletically inept Dan finds himself in a fiercely competitive game of one-on-one with his drunken brother, who was a high school basketball star.

A bet is made, and if young Dan wins, Dave must confront their father about seeking help.

And the game is on.

Playing Hardball explores a painful subject with humor and fast-paced action that races toward the final buzzer.