As Top Secret ended its final run at the Skirball Cultural Center, the Los Angeles Times published an excellent preview piece, and a later op-ed relating the Pentagon Papers episode to current events, and there have been a number of stories about the impressive slate of events held as part of the collaboration between Top Secret and Sunshine Week, including a panel that followed the March 13 performance, (which was replayed in radio form on KPCC-FM in Los Angeles on June 28). The dialogue after the final live performance was led by Peter Scheer, executive director of the California First Amendment Coalition. Panelists were  David C. Kohler, former CNN general counsel who now is director of the Donald E. Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute and Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles; and Marc Cooper, lecturer and associate director of USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism. “This partnership provides an exciting and creative new avenue to engage people in the discussion about how important it is to our democracy to protect people’s right to information,” said David Westphal, Washington editor for McClatchy Newspapers and co-chair of the American Society of Newspaper Editors’ Freedom of Information Committee.” You can also view two of the post-show panels including John Dean and Bob Shear.  Sunshine Week is a national initiative that encourages discussions about the importance of open government and freedom of information led by ASNE. Additionally, two new books, one about Nixon Attorney General John Mitchell (which has been garnering attention and controversy), and one about the history of research at the  RAND corporation, will be sure to continue to provide insight into this historical period. UPDATE: The Boston Globe recently published an excellent op-ed from its former editor commemorating the anniversary of their publication of the Pentagon Papers.

The Spring Tour of “Top Secret: the Battle for the Pentagon Papers” has begun with a comprehensive and exciting kick-off at Wake Forest University which is generating great ‘buzz’ , including a review calling it a “joy to watch” and an excellent column about the actress playing Katharine Graham. As part of that university’s “Voices of our Time” series, the performance will be accompanied by an address by Daniel Ellsberg, as well as radio broadcasts. The Wake Forest engagement will be followed by a two-day performance at the Diana Wortham Theatre in North Carolina, and then on to a great program at  University of Richmond Jan 22-23, which is being widely anticipated. There are also compelling events planned to accompany the performance on Jan. 28-29 at the University of Iowa, as well as mounting excitement for the Feb. 6 Concord, N. H. performance. Click here to read what audiences are saying about the play.

The University of Nebraska ‘Echoes of Project X’ Symposium was a huge success in Lincoln this week. Both pre- and post-production discussions were hosted by playwright Geoffrey Cowan and events included a discussion with former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis, Thomas Jefferson Center director Robert O’Neil, UNL Journalism professor John Bender and UNL law professor Eric Berger. Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus made remarks, and it was capped off by an address by Daniel Ellsberg. Video of the event is available here.