Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...It’s an interesting if less-than-subtle piece about a topic we rarely ponder in Chicago theater, and it is sincerely and competently acted by Christine Bunuan, Emily Marso, Scott Shimizu and others. The issues at this juncture involve a lack of clarity in the heavy-handed storytelling — this production, which feels under-rehearsed, does not build tension in the way that such a thriller ought, mostly because the scenes are choppy and the energy intermittent and inclined to easily disperse. All around me, people seemed to be checked out, which is a shame, given all the talent here."
Chicago Reader - Not Recommended
"...But every atom of intrigue gets buried in glacial scenes full of bloated, illustrative dialogue and didactic overkill. Potentially interesting affinities with (oddly enough) Roman Polanski's Chinatown and the novels of English fantasy writer China Miéville get scattered to the winds. Helen Young's staging is ungainly, though Anthony Churchill contributes sharp projections; worse, it lacks the erotic spark without which nothing makes sense."
Windy City Times - Somewhat Recommended
"...Indeed, the entire text is hobbled by the stilted literary tone characteristic of Chinese-to-English paraphrasing better suited to novels than plays. Despite the efforts of translators Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith, adapter David Henry Hwang, and the interpretive tweaks of director Helen Young and a deft cast featuring company regulars Christine Bunuan, Scott Shimizu and F. Karmann Bajuyo, Chong's warning cannot help but succumb to the visual distraction of Anthony Churchill's dazzling video projections—inadvertently demonstrating thereby just how easily crowd attention can be diverted from troubling admonitions."
TheatreMania - Somewhat Recommended
"...It's easy to see why Silk Road Rising chose to produce Wild Boar now, when it is perhaps even more topical than it was in 2012. In theory, it's a perfect match. The time is right, the cast is talented, and the production is an impressive technical achievement. But the pieces never quite come together, and the great potential is sadly unfulfilled."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...Candace Chong’s Hong Kong-set play Wild Boar (adapted here by David Henry Hwang from a translation by Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith) mixes its genres in a style not unlike the odd “one country, two systems” status of Hong Kong itself. The play is a mystery thriller, a romance, a wry comedy and a semi-dystopic parable that eerily suits the current political moment."
Stage and Cinema - Somewhat Recommended
"...By play’s end a sinister new high rise (seen continually under construction) called the News Building is about to open. Will it be a shelter for the city’s constructive critics or a conduit for official lies and obfuscation? That’s as much resolution as Chong chooses to give her crises. Perhaps that’s to encourage the audience to also resist the powers that shouldn’t be. Are you a wild boar or a tame sheep?"
Chicago Theatre Review - Somewhat Recommended
"...Candace Chong’s play does address contemporary issues and it’s understandable why Silk Road Rising chose to produce it at this time. Corporate influences expand on a daily basis and seem to be controlling our lives at every turn. Our disappointing government and ever-growing big business seem to be joined together at the hip, and not for the good of everyone. This drama explores an issue that’s definitely worth exploring, but perhaps not in this manner."
The Hawk Chicago - Not Recommended
"...The play succeeds in throwing out a series of buzzwords--journalistic integrity, media censorship, social consciousness, freedom of speech--but fails to delve any deeper into these terms. In short, Wild Boar’s concept and script is great at generating intrigue but struggles to move beyond that."
Chicago On Stage - Not Recommended
"...But actors having some nice moments can’t save this play, unfortunately. Director Helen Young did them no favors with some clunky blocking in several key spots, especially in the climactic scene, and the script did the rest. The whole thing is salvaged only by the tech, which (as noted) is dynamite. Wait: that’s not quite fair. I did learn things tonight about censorship and corruption in Hong Kong. So, as a didactic lesson, I guess there was some value, though it was inefficiently presented. As a play, though? I just can’t recommend this one."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Director Helen Young seems to have maintained that distance with set designer Yaeji Kim's room made up of sliding doors, but part of it also comes from the unnaturalness of the translation. (These people all cram a huge number of words into their sentences.) The titular wild boar refers to how the animals sometimes still show up unexpectedly in Hong Kong. Within the play, they're an ambiguous symbol for Johnny to project all sorts of things onto in his frustrated search for meaning."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Though the dialogue leans heavily on cliche, Chong's narrative is juicy and soapy, with spies and conspiracies rubbing up against affairs of love and lust. Best are the scenes with waitress Karrie (Emily Marso) and hacker Yam (Fin Coe), who captivate for different reasons-Karrie is governed by the realities of poverty and suffers the consequences of the whims of the privileged, while schlubby office boy Yam provides comic relief to lighten the heavy-handed standards of his idealistic coworkers."