Rajiv Joseph, whose play "Gruesome Playground Injuries" is enjoying its world premiere at the Alley Theatre, has won the 2009 Whiting Writers Award in the playwriting category.
The awards, of $50,000 each in ten categories, have been given annually since 1985 by the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation to honor writers showing "exceptional talent and promise in early career." This year's awards were presented last week in New York.
"Gruesome Playground Injuries," Joseph's newest play, depicts two troubled soulmates, Kayleen and Doug, chronicling their 30-year relationship through the injuries each acquires in pursuit of attention and love. Selma Blair and Brad Fleischer star in the Alley production.
Joseph's other plays include "Animals Out of Paper" and "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo," which premiered to acclaim in Los Angeles earlier this year.
