'American Horror Story: Critical 'Freak Show' Script Stolen

A script from a critical scene of "American Horror Story: Freak Show" has been STOLEN and is being shopped around to media outlets.

The theft occurred on set during a filming last week in New Orleans. We're told one of the actors was reading a script and left some pages behind and someone pilfered them.

As for what's being shopped ... it's only one page but it is hugely important. Without revealing specifics, we can tell you it involves Pepper the pinhead and a scene that reveals how she ended up in the Briarcliff Manor during Season 2, "Asylum."

20th Century Fox TV, which produces the show, tells TMZ, "The theft and unauthorized distribution of our scripts is a very serious matter and we will take all appropriate steps necessary to vigorously protect our intellectual property."