Penn Presents L.A. Theatre Works Production of Top Secret: The Battle For The Pentagon Papers at Annenberg Center

Theater: Penn Presents at the Annenberg Center, Prince Theatre
Show Title: Top Secret: The Battle For The Pentagon Papers
Opened: February 14, 2008
Seen: February 14, 2008
Reviewer: Charlie Seymour Jr
Submitted: February 15, 2008

Run, don't walk, to see this powerful production!

[As I've written before, though I will write here from time to time, I will not present formal reviews - others do that better and I think it's just better to leave it to them.]

L.A. Theatre Works has created a powerful production of Top Secret: The Battle For The Pentagon Papers which is more powerful today than when first created in the 1990's.

Presented as if it were radio theater in the Harold Prince Theatre with 7 microphones downstage where actors present their production and a Foley table upstage creates the sound effects that enrich the fabric of the story, the political parallels to today are stunning and profound.

Author Geoffrey Cowan was present for an audience talkback on opening night (along with the cast and L.A. Theatre Works Producing Director Susan Loewenberg) and he shared the stage with former Penn President Sheldon Hackney at a pre-show lecture in the Studio Theatre about the atmosphere surrounding Daniel Ellsberg, the Vietnam War, President Richard Nixon, the Pentagon Papers, and the battle waged by the Washington Post (and the New York Times) for the right to publish.

I had forgotten so much.

It was the time of college for me: war protests, anti-government sentiments, upheaval in our hearts and our headlines. But see the production and see if you agree with me: the parallels to today are unmistakeable and powerful.

This production is ending its 10-week run, where it visited college campuses throughout the country. The actors will return to Los Angeles to record the production for Radio Theater so that it will live forever.

I felt totally at home in the Prince Theatre in Annenberg Center. I had directed theater there as a student at Wharton and attended even more. But I never remember a production staged as this one was with the impact it presents.

I'll leave full theater reviews for others, but I have to tell you that this show will make you think. You'll love seeing familiar actors on stage that you don't usually see here in Philadelphia (Gregory Harrison, John Heard, Susan Sullivan, John Vickery) and you'll meet others you may not yet know but are glad you met here. And the power will grab you.

You HAVE to RUN to catch this production - it only plays through Sunday, February 17, 2008. Tickets may not be purchased online the day of the performance. Please call the box office at 215.898.3900 to purchase tickets for today's show. Box office hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm. The box office remains open later on performance days.

Click Here To See The Penn Presents Website!

Charlie Seymour Jr
Founder / Chief Marketing Director
StageMagazineOnline.com