J-Powers’s "Pentagon Papers" opens on the 40th anniversary of the Watergate break-in. For the first time on stage, the hidden history of the US War on Vietnam that destroyed more than one president is dramatized. Pres. Nixon, for example, referred to it as "silly" and "incredible" in grand jury transcripts made public in November 2011. It eventually lead to his resignation.
- Now playing at the Santa Monica Playhouse
Powers’s new play presents key passages from the recently declassified Pentagon Papers revealing the shocking secrets that led tricky Dick Nixon to create a team of Watergate burglars that eventually led to the destruction of his presidency.
“The truth will set you free,” said Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon's secrets. He risked everything, including his freedom, to expose this classified information. Unlike previous works on the subject that explore the courtroom effort regarding the right to publish them, "Pentagon Papers" dramatizes the actual secret history of America's involvement in Vietnam.
Performed by a cast of young actors, the production aims to inspire a new generation of Americans to demand honesty and transparency from US leaders. "Pentagon Papers" is presented in association with Vietnam Veterans of America, with production supported in part by a CCI ARC grant.
