The award, which was first presented in 2007, supports emerging playwrights and is jointly sponsored by Yale University Press and Yale Repertory Theatre.

Playwright Wechsler will be presented with his award Sept. 14 at a ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton New York. He will receive the David C. Horn Prize of $10,000, and Grenadine will be published by Yale University Press and receive a reading at Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT, Sept. 15.

Grenadine, according to press notes, "follows a man's quest for love in the company of his three devoted friends. The bonds of friendship are challenged—and ultimately reaffirmed—by the quartet's journey through an unfamiliar landscape."

Wechsler graduated from Yale University in 1996 with distinction in Philosophy and Psychology. He lives in Buffalo, NY, with his wife, Anne, and their two-year-old son, Max.

John Austin Connolly's The Boys from Siam, the 2007 recipient, was also selected by playwright Albee. The Vertical Hour's David Hare will select the winners in 2009 and 2010. For more information visit www.yalerep.org.