My Kind of Town

World Premiere

May 1, 2012 - Jul 29, 2012

My Kind of Town puts a human face on the police torture scandal that has plagued Chicago for more than three decades. Veteran investigative journalist John Conroy covered the story, challenging public indifference to become one of the leading voices drawing attention to the charges. My Kind of Town is his passionate, groundbreaking new drama revolving around one imprisoned man’s fight for justice, inspired by the stories of numerous victims, police officers, prosecutors and families whose lives have been poisoned by the allegations. With interlocking storylines that humanize the play’s issues of corruption and responsibility, My Kind of Town sets the stage for a new conversation about today’s culture of law and order.

Cast

Production Team

Understudies

* Member of Actors Equity Association

# Member of United Scenic Artists

~ Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

+ TimeLine Company Member

^ TimeLine Associate Artist

§ TimeLine Playwrights Collective

Reviews

  • TIME Magazine

    June 27, 2012

    Under Nick Bowling’s tense, empathetic direction, all of this is told with spellbinding power. The personal stories are woven together skillfully, often intermingling in the same tiny stage space. Conroy is as tough a dramatist as he is a journalist: he doesn’t settle for easy melodramatics, neat resolutions or moral absolutes. Victims of torture are not necessarily innocent. Good people make moral compromises. Bad ones have their justifications. And in the real world, we often have to be satisfied with partial victories.

    —Richard Zoglin

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  • Chicago Tribune

    May 13, 2012

    In Chicago, the theater is where Chicagoans go to hear about their city and debate, maybe even save, its soul … [My Kind of Town is] a long-in-the-works drama that gripped its audience on Saturday night … Despite the moral force of this play, and the explosiveness of its content, the tone of My Kind of Town is strikingly careful and balanced … the muted tone of the piece is wholly compelling.

    —Chris Jones

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  • WBEZ 91.5 Dueling Critics

    May 14, 2012

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  • WTTW Chicago Tonight

    May 15, 2012

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  • Stage and Cinema

    June 1, 2012

    Audiences at the TimeLine Theatre expecting a no-brainer indictment of Chicago police torture are in for a surprising, unsettling, and suspenseful evening.

    —Dan Zeff

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  • Windy City Times

    May 23, 2012

    [John] Conroy paints his timely drama with thoughtful shades of gray, prompting the audience to invest both in the personal issues of his characters and the moral issue of torture itself … My Kind of Town definitely unsettles and provokes, which is the mark of a dramatic job well done by Conroy and the combined forces of TimeLine Theatre.

    —Scott C. Morgan

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  • Chicago on the Aisle

    May 25, 2012

    What’s most impressive about John Conroy’s play My Kind of Town … is its finesse and completeness as drama. … Directed by the ever-resourceful Nick Bowling, My Kind of Town churns forward with provocative ambiguity, scene melding into scene. … Far from a rush to judgment, it is the even-handed work of a good reporter become adept dramatist.

    —Lawrence B. Johnson

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  • The Fourth Walsh/Chicago Now

    May 17, 2012

    The rippling complexities make for a fascinating story. … I’ve seen many shows at TimeLine Theatre. This is my favorite one ever. … Conroy’s twists shock and disturb. … It’s a brilliant mixture of crime and human drama! One show that won’t let you down.

    —Katy Walsh

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  • Around the Town Chicago

    May 12, 2012

    5 STARS … This stunning new play written by by John Conroy and sharply directed by Nick Bowling takes us back in time … If you love history, if you love mystery, if you love cop stories, you will love this show.

    —Al Bresloff

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  • Chicago Critic

    May 13, 2012

    Highly Recommended … Conroy’s play covers both sides–the victims and the detective’s point of view. … Conroy uses interlocking story lines and smartly constructed flashbacks to humanize the issue and effects of corruption and coverup on all players.

    —Tom Williams

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  • ArtsandAbout

    May 23, 2012

    I recommend that you put [TimeLine Theatre] on your must-go list for consistently engaging evenings at the theater. … [John] Conroy has turned his long-running expose about a Chicago police torture scandal into riveting and disturbing drama … the result is gripping theater.

    —Tom Mullaney

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  • TimeOut Chicago

    May 15, 2012

    My Kind of Town is an important play, one that successfully depicts the complicated ecosystem in which men and women who’ve sworn to serve and protect the citizenry can become its greatest oppressors.

    —Dan Jakes

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Discussions & Events

  • Sunday Scholars Series
    June 10, 12:00 am

    This one-hour post-show panel discussion features experts on the themes of the play.

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