THE DEVIL IS
IN THE DETAILS

Strong performances and eerie stage effects
cannot entirely clarify a mystery that
depends on carefully controlled deception

Crystin Gilmore

A terrific performance by Crystin Gilmore as the stern, Bible-thumping, yet guilt-ridden Mama, along with evocative special effects, makes Covenant, a Southern Gothic about the battle between good and evil, a riveting experience appropriate for the Halloween season. Saskia Martinez’s scenic design, Kevin Dunn’s lighting, Mackenzie Adamick’s sound, and Evan Northrup’s illusions contribute to the unsettling atmosphere. But playwright York Walker’s story depends on carefully planted clues and deliberate misdirection, and Dawn M. Simmons’s direction does not always make the distinction between mystery and confusion clear. The result is an otherwise well-performed production that left me scratching my head over what actually happened.

Set in a small Georgia town in 1936, Walker’s play draws on the legend of early 20th-century bluesman Robert Johnson, who was said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for extraordinary musical gifts. In Covenant, Johnny “Honeycomb” James (Anthony T. Goss) returns home after several months away, suddenly able to play guitar so well that people—especially women—are drawn to him like bees to honey.

In Mama’s mind, the music Honeycomb plays is the devil’s music, and she rails against it with passionate fervor. Her daughter Avery (Deannah Dripp Blemur) disagrees and runs away to Chicago with Honeycomb. Avery’s departure infuriates Mama, whose abusive language and threats toward her other daughter, Violet (Sydney Alicia Jackson), and Violet’s friend Ruthie (Kayla Sessoms) become increasingly extreme.

Anthony T. Goss and Deannah Dripp Blemur

When Avery returns home, apparently broken by abuse at Honeycomb’s hands, Mama calls on prayer and the power of religion to heal her. The special effects kick in, and jump scares keep the audience rapt as the question of who really made a deal with the devil unfolds.

The trouble is that Covenant is designed to make us question what we have seen. Its revelations depend on our ability to look back and recognize how earlier events fit together. That kind of storytelling requires direction that allows the audience to be deceived without losing its bearings. Here, the supernatural atmosphere and suspense are compelling, but the final revelations are harder to follow than they should be.

Few are likely to be bored by this production, but many may be hard-pressed to explain the ending or the meaning of what they have seen. Some things—especially the eerie and the bizarre—cannot be explained, and that may be the nature of the supernatural. In theater, however, I like to leave with some renewed insight, even when not every question has been answered.

Kayla Sessoms

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photos by Benjamin Rose Photography

Covenant
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street
90 minutes, no intermission
ends on October 17, 2026
for tickets, visit SpeakEasyStage

for more shows, visit Theatre in Boston

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