←Recommendations of Feral

The author here, masterfully leaves much for the actors to unearth. Although the banter between these two sisters seems light, there is a palpable sense of desperation simmering just beneath the surface. The mystery of what exactly may be driving one of them to go out of her way to help a wild feline is never overtly disclosed. However, in the midst of trying to snare the cat and run off a hungry animal that may be stalking it, the two women make a life-changing decision that seems like it just may save them from whatever has them both trapped.

This short play is wonderful! At first glance, it's about protecting a feral cat from coyotes, but then you realize that it's about much more than that. The banter between the sisters is quick and funny, but then suddenly becomes deep for a moment before reverting back... So much in only ten pages. I love it!

This is the first place that had me laughing at opening stage directions! The play only got better from there. The short sentences make the back and forth between the characters move along at a good pace. The dialogue also stacks funny points on top of funny point so you are giggling most of the way through. However, I found the sudden turn from humour to the tender moment between the two characters really beautiful and it gave the play a nice sense of balance.

A lovely short play that touches on some deep emotions in only a few pages, giving us just enough but leaving just as much unsaid. Chelsea's desire to save the feral cat strikes me as a yearning for some sense of comfort and stability in her life, a sense of hope to cling to.

I so resonated to this piece, from a personal viewpoint. My husband and I have been volunteers for many years, feeding the community cats and helping with TNR (Trap-neuter-release). I so related to Chelsea and her feelings for the feral cat, and her desire to help. From an artistic viewpoint, playwright Ross Tedford Kendall has written a taut, symbolic, gorgeous short play that should be produced everywhere. A stand-out example of subtext and nuance done beautifully.

Ross Tedford Kendall's FERAL is a perfect 10; the characters' desires and needs are beautifully delineated, their conflicts are clear, and the metaphors are delicately weaved into their story. And it lingers long after one has read it as, I am sure, it will linger long after seeing it in performance. A subtle-but-strong, gorgeous piece of writing.

In a few beautifully delineated, delicate strokes, Ross Tedford Kendall creates a whole history for the two sisters in FERAL. These young women, desperate to spread their wings, but still emotionally and financially bound to their childhood home, convey as much through their inaction as their action. The subtle metaphors of the feral cat and the coyote, independent and elusive, perfectly capture the essence of their dilemma: the conflicting desires to circle the wagons, yet also to be set free. An accomplished, resonating piece.

Feral is a word we often associate with cats. And a trapped feral cat is a very unhappy cat. In this play, Chelsea is trying to help a neighborhood feral cat, but it is clear that it is her soul that is feral and trapped. This 10 minute play is a beautiful tale of two sisters and their desire to be free.

A taut ten minute play that explores the preoccupations that we find to avoid the things we really should be thinking about. Chelsea is a great, deep character with her laser focus on rescuing a feral cat from coyotes that is ultimately a metaphor for her own anxiety.