Review: History Theatre’s ‘A Unique Assignment’ salutes a Minnesotan hero in a segregation riot

James Meredith slept through the Ole Miss riot.

Two people were killed, and numerous others were injured in the melee that accompanied his integration at the University of Mississippi in the fall of 1962. But as all hell was breaking loose that night in Oxford, Miss., the military veteran had a peace of mind that passed all understanding.

Perhaps Meredith was just overtired. Or maybe he was confident of the protective shield formed by the 30,000 federal troops activated to protect him as he made history by becoming the first Black person to study at the hitherto all-white public school.

Meredith’s story is well known because it’s been chronicled in a plethora of history books and in documentaries such as “Eyes on the Prize.” But did you know that his personal protective detail at Ole Miss was led by a white Minnesotan?

“A Unique Assignment,” by playwright Harrison David Rivers, is a hero soldier’s story that puts the spotlight on Second Lt. Henry “Hank” Gallagher, a Minneapolis kid who attended St. John’s University and had the duty of ensuring Meredith’s safety.

Gallagher was in attendance on opening weekend of “Assignment,” and he was beaming. Meredith, 90, could not travel because of health reasons but his wife, Judy Alsobrooks Meredith, attended and spoke in his stead.

In stitching together these two men’s stories, Rivers’ play underscores a salient historical point. While we often see the truculent haters from that era, there were many people on the right side of morality and history.

As staged by History Theatre artistic director Richard Thompson, “Assignment” takes place in a hall of history with nine panels. Designer Ursula Bowden’s spare stage is filled with Kathy Maxwell’s historic projections that add tissue and flesh to the space.

As an older Henry (Pearce Bunting) reflects on his past, the characters spring to life. Kevin Fanshaw plays Henry at 23, fresh faced and clueless but happy to fulfill his duty. James A. Williams depicts Meredith plus some ensemble roles, and Kevin Brown Jr. plays everything else.

The actors really do a commendable job. Bunting brings gravitas and avuncular warmth to Henry the elder. His is a story told around a dinner table for the young’uns. Fanshaw matches Bunting’s warmth but adds some sprightliness and zest to the youthful version.

Williams is honor and dignity in human form as Meredith. He imbues the historic figure with an inscrutable nobility, elements that he also distributes to other roles he plays, including a general.

If Brown gets to have the most fun in “Assignment,” it’s because he has the most roles. His characters are white and Black, male and female, and he differentiates them with cadence, gesture and, especially, his gait. Brown uses a pronounced wide stance for the school’s registrar and distills the discipline of various military men with precise, nearly robotic steps.

The script has some beautiful language, including from President John F. Kennedy, but there are challenges with the play and production.

Meredith believed in blooming where he was planted, even if that soil is in a whirlwind. But he was also a contrarian figure in real life who later became a domestic policy adviser for arch-segregationist Sen. Jesse Helms.

But that level of complexity of character gets sanded down a little too much in “Assignment.” Like the real person, this Meredith could stand to be a little more surprising.

Thompson’s direction is elegant and clean. He often positions his actors in triangles onstage, which nods to both the chevron of a military uniform (Meredith conducted himself with military decorum) and to a strong geometric structure.

The challenge is not the talent of the actors but the perceived efficiency of the casting. When Brown comes out as Mrs. Gallagher telling her son to come home, damn the AWOL charges, it’s funny. But it also points out that the show could use one or two more actors onstage.

“Assignment” feels a little skimpy, which is a shame. It’s too big a story to go small on.

Who: By Harrison David Rivers. Directed by Richard D. Thompson.

Where: History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St., St. Paul.

When: 10 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. Thu., 7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends April 7.

Tickets: $54-$59. 651-292-4323 or historytheatre.com.