Drama About Chicago Police Torture By Acclaimed Journalist Is Now A Book

By Kate Shepherd in News on Dec 16, 2015 10:18PM

The publication of a 2012 play about Chicago's recent history of police torture couldn't come at a more apt time.

Chicago Dramaworks has published My Kind of Town, the critically-acclaimed play by celebrated journalist and former Chicago Reader reporter John Conroy, which premiered at the TimeLine Theatre in May 2012. Inspired by the case of disgraced police commanderJon Burge, who was found guilty of obstruction of justice and perjury in 2010. Rolling Stone called the play "a masterpiece" and Time said it was "told with spellbinding power."

As an Investigative journalist Conroy wrote about the infamous Burge trials for the Reader from 1990 to 2007. He began working on the play after being laid off from the newspaper in late 2007.

The shadow of Burge has hung over Chicago Police Department for years. The former CPD detective and Area 2 commander allegedly tortured over 200 suspects to coerce confessions between 1972 and 1991. The Fraternal Order of Police, who have been widely criticized for their handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting, paid for Burge's defense during his trial.

With the widespread outrage about the McDonald shooting, the play couldn't be more relevant. The Burge-inspired character is left out of the play, which focuses on the layers of CPD officials who ignore the torture going on.

[H/T Chicago Reader]