Synopsis "A Cold Day in Hell"
The Play: A Cold Day in Hell portrays one man's effort at resolving his despair at his dilemma of having a hospitalized, comatose wife, apparently with no hope of recovery, and grown children who seem to him to be self-absorbed and detached from his plight. A tour-de-force single-character play by author Jan Quackenbush, its actor, Michael Liscio was awarded a 1988 Los Angeles Dramalogue Award in a long-running production by the California Cottage Theatre, 1988-1991. Jan Quackenbush has had plays produced in the USA and in Europe. His published plays includeCALCIUM AND OTHER PLAYS, STILL FIRES, OPFER (VICTIMS, published in Austria), IM KREIS DRAUSSSEN (Inside Out, published in Austria), and INSIDE OUT AND OTHER PLAYS, London. He has had several productions at the La MAMA ETC theatre in New York and has had three plays included in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Additionally, he has published poetry and prose, including "Flash," "Stone Eggs," and "Simeon in Memoriam." In addition to writing new plays, Jan is at work on a documentary film chronicling the military touring shows (soldier-actor shows) that toured Vietnam. Jan coordinated and prepared those shows as part of his active duty in Vietnam. He teaches playwriting at Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY, and in the MA Degree in Creative Writing, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA.
