Doug Huff, Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College, was recently named the winner of the 2010 Hidden River Arts Playwrighting Award for his play A Far Shore.
For winning the award, Huff will receive a monetary award, the manuscript of A Far Shore will be published by Hidden River Arts, and the play will receive a reading in Philadelphia in the fall of 2011.
The other finalists for the award included Enid Harlow for Gone, Evan Guilford-Blake for An Uncommon Language, and Jacob Appel for Inalienable Duties, The Library of Tomorrow, The Resurrection of Dismas and Gestas, and Woodpecker.
Huff wrote A Far Shore during his 2008 sabbatical leave at the request of members of the Bangalore Little Theatre – the largest theatre in Bangalore, India. The play is based on the life and work of B.R. Ambedkar – a hero in his homeland of India where he served as a political leader, activist, philosopher, orator, writer, economist, and revolutionary. Ambedkar is also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and is credited with having sparked the Dalit Buddhist movement.
This isn’t the first time Huff has been honored for A Far Shore. He was also selected as one of four winners of the 2009 Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Playwriting Contest at the Castillo Theatre, New York. In addition to a number of academic articles published in recent years, Huff includes A Far Shore along with two other plays produced in recent years, including Emil’s Enemies, Santa Fe, NM (2010), Oxford, England (2006), New York, NY (2001), and Bangalore, India (2003); and Ophelia, Santa Fe, NM (2004).
Hidden River Arts is an independent literary and performing arts organization based in suburban Philadelphia dedicated to supporting the “hidden” or outsider artist. Hidden River offers artists competitions, residencies, publication, outreach, and live events. More information can be found at hiddenriverarts.com.
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