THE STORY: The action is set in the kitchen of a small house in upstate New York, the home of the acutely lonely Robert. The place is piled high with old newspapers, and something is rotting so horribly in the fridge that the simple task of extracting a beer poses a major health risk. Robert is clearly in desperate trouble. Then his older brother Jack arrives, as neat and controlled as his sibling is wild and unraveled. A West End hit starring Woody Harrelson and Kyle MacLachlan, ON AN AVERAGE DAY is a mystery play, a moving psychological drama and a black comedy, a thrill ride full of twists and turns.
“Four Stars!” —The Guardian (UK).
“Kolvenbach reveals himself as a writer of real skills. His writing combines humor, sadness and the possibility of redemption in a manner that is all his own. We will be hearing more of him.” —The Telegraph (UK).
“A riveting emotional duel.” —LA Weekly.
“Provocative and chilling. A thought-provoking play.” —The Hollywood Reporter.
“If the New Testament were rewritten for modern times in language that included four-letter words and psychotic outbursts against the inscrutable will of God, the Good Book might read something like John Kolvenbach’s ON AN AVERAGE DAY. Kolvenbach’s characters are both complex and mythic, mixing innocence and world-weariness.” —Cape Cod Times.
“An emotionally harrowing yet subtly compassionate work, John Kolvenbach’s tragicomedy recalls the brutal family-dysfunction dramas of Sam Shepard coupled with the enigmatic subtext of Harold Pinter’s works. Meticulously unpeeling the layers of emotional fog surrounding the estranged relationship between two long-separated brothers, the piece evokes the tension of a crafty mystery thriller, though its ultimate payoff is profound emotional resonance.” —Backstage.
“Like an extended, surrealistic Smothers Brothers routine, John Kolvenbach’s engrossing sojourn through sibling angst is highlighted by the brilliantly off-kilter interplay between dysfunctional recluse Bobby and his more socially integrated older brother Jack. ON AN AVERAGE DAY offers a searing, often hilarious history of familial disintegration.” —Variety.
“ON AN AVERAGE DAY is an emotionally charged play, monumental in its passion, and mind-boggling in its intensity. You will be left with admiration and wonderment for a play that is beyond awesome.” —CurtainUp.
