Harrison David Rivers has won the 2018 Relentless Award for “The Bandaged Place,” a play about an abusive relationship between two gay men.

Bestowed by the American Playwriting Foundation, the prize was created in honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman after his death in 2014. It recognizes unproduced works of theater that exude, among other criteria, passion and fearlessness.

“The Bandaged Place” initially seemed “overtly traditional,” said David Bar Katz, the foundation’s executive director. But it stood out for its blatantly violent moments, which Mr. Katz said many writers would avoid.

“The balance between beautiful poetic movement, language and extreme brutality is just incredibly honest,” he added.