Pictured: Scott Shimizu. Photo by Airan Wright.

By Andrea Cain

In the current political climate, journalistic integrity comes under fire quite often. Candace Chong’s WILD BOAR, now playing at Silk Road Rising, takes a look at the intentions of those journalists that seek the truth and what it takes to ensure the public knows it.

The audience is met with a minimalist stage, with only projections as a backdrop (brilliantly designed by Yeaji Kang and Anthony Churchill). In shadow, a man seems to be followed by a hidden figure. This man is an archivist, a researcher named Mu Ne (Fin Coe), who was looking into a recent urban development project that could have serious repercussions for lower class citizens. His disappearance leads reporter Ruan Winshan (F. Karmann Bajuyo) to thoroughly investigate where Mu Ne went and why his disappearance was being brushed off as an old man who simply got lost.

We meet Johnny (Scott Shimizu), and Tricia (Christine Bunuan) both working hard at Ruan’s new newspaper to find out the truth behind Mu Ne’s disappearance. With the help of Yam (also played by the silly Fin Coe), the three find more and more information. However, a young woman from Johnny’s past, Karrie (Emily Marso) means to disrupt their work, giving a very different take on the urban development project.

On the whole, the production is beautiful to watch, yet sometimes difficult to follow. Various characters lack a natural rhythm to their words, and oftentimes some pieces distort the message of the play. The play shows that business and major government authorities are controlling what the public consumes, hiding some of the story. It then proposes that what we are hearing is enough. Are we to believe the media? Are we to trust urban development? Is all urban development going to harm the lower class? While I was made aware of the problems that many face, I was not sure what the opinion of the play was when I left.

WILD BOAR runs through December 17th. For more information visit wildboarplay.org.