ACT ONE
Scene I. near Washington, D.C. The Pentagon.

[Enter Daniel Ellsberg, in darkness.]
Ellsberg. Here I am, safe within these five walls.
Hurry, man, complete your appointed task.
Ah, these files should do it. Oh, happy days!
Exactly as I had been told,
a complete and unabridged account 5
of the War in Southeast Asia.
Oh, what a find! Ne’er before seen details
of this country’s military operations.
Oh, what any liberal publisher
won’t give for this manuscript. 10
I shall be quite rich for this one night’s work.
Hark, the day shift approaches.
I must from this place make haste.
[Exit.]
[Enter a General and a Corporal.]
General. Turn on the lights there, Corporal.
Much work we need done. Ho, what’s this? 15
Papers on the floor! A filing cabinet open!
Whoa! ‘Thas been pried open. See, here,
Corporal, is anything missing?
Corporal. Why, oh no, sir! The Papers are gone.
Look, sir. A busted window. 20
Oh, Great Threat! They’ve been stolen!
General. What man? What’s been stolen?
Corporal. The most top secret files of the Pentagon Papers!
General. Oh, my God!
Corporal. Stolen out from under our noses. 25
General. Great national emergency! Corporal,
the Communists have infiltrated us!
Top secret security has been breached!
Sound the alarm! Catch the perpetrator,
‘afore these Papers are leaked to the Free 30
and Liberal Press. Sound the alarm, Corporal!
Sound the alarm!
[Exeunt.]