Anthony T. Goss as Johnny and Deannah “DRIPP” Blemur as Avery. Photo: Benjamin Rose Photography

Presented by SpeakEast Stage Company
By York Walker
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons
Featuring: Crystin Gilmore, Anthony T. Goss, Sydney Alicia Jackson, Deannah “DRIPP” Blemur, Kayla Sessoms

Sep. 25 through Oct. 17, 2026
Boston Center for the Arts

Critique by Kitty Drexel

TLDR: The cast & crew had a rough night on Wednesday. Covenant is Sinners meets Paranormal. Sorta.

BOSTON — Sometimes, the well-prepared elements of a play don’t meld during a performance. Only the muses know why. That appeared to be the case of the cast and crew of SpeakEasy’s Covenant on Wednesday evening: Actors lost their energy halfway through their lines and looked uneasy on stage, a sound cue misfired, tech persons were accidentally revealed during set changes. To these we say, let she who’s never persisted through a wonky performance cast the first stone.

We, the audience, can chalk these foibles up to the mysteries of live theatre. Mistakes happened; the actors kept going. They finished strong, and that’s what matters most. We commend the Covenant cast and crew for their hard work turning the production around. It isn’t easy and displays both good technique and a solid community foundation.    

From what we surmise, Covenant is based on the myth and fact of Delta bluesman Robert Johnson.  Folk history says Johnson made a midnight deal with the Devil at a crossroads to sing and play the guitar. He left home unable to play. He returned six months later with some skill. Rumors spread like wildfire. The truth is more mundane: Johnson found a human teacher. (Or, perhaps, a gremlin convincingly dressed as a human teacher…) He made some recordings. He passed away at the ripe age of 27. 

Johnson’s story and more helpful information are found on the SpeakEasy’s dramaturgy website. I wish SpeakEasy had put more significance on the Johnson myth. One needs to know about it to appreciate this play. I urge potential members to check out the dramaturgy website before attending. Read about Johnson online because his myth adds necessary context to the production. As SpeakEasy has reduced its playbill pages to reduce its carbon footprint, we must now take initiative to complete our pre-show education. 

Covenant dreams of being the small stage version of Sinners meets Paranormal – minus the vampires and jump scares. In this play, Johnny “Honeycomb” James (Anthony T Goss) returns home to Hartwell County, Georgia after making it big as a juke joint singer and traveling musician. It’s 1936, and he’s come home to marry his childhood crush, Avery (Deannah Dripp Blemur). Avery wants to leave her small town with Johnny, but her god-fearing Mama (Crystin Gilmore, who wields christianity like a weapon) refuses to allow it. As Avery and Mama play out their mother/daughter dispute in their unhappy home, Avery’s sister, Violet (Sydney Alicia Jackson), and Violet’s best friend, Ruthie (Kayla Sessoms), witness their falling out. Covenant is a play about the secrets we keep and stories we don’t tell. 

To be completely frank (with all due respect to Goss’s many talents), if Honeycomb James sold his soul for the voice and playing we heard on Wednesday night, Honeycomb was solidly conned. And, depending on your perspective, that’s the entire point. Honeycomb might have been a smooth-talking cutiepie with nice hands who made a deal with a fallen angel, or he was a young man with an okay voice and an untuned guitar. It doesn’t matter whether Honeycomb actually made a deal. It matters that people believed he did. Rumors like that attract patrons. A venue owner knows that big crowds mean more money in their pockets. 

If you see this production, you’ll discover that Honeycomb’s story is the least interesting plot thread of this play. I will only say that the production takes a surprisingly queer turn. When we say the LGBTQ+ community has always existed everywhere, we mean it. 

As explained above, this performance took its time to blossom on Wednesday night. The production excelled during the cast’s inter-scene monologues. In them, each character divulges their darkest day through third-person narrative. Each actor gets to tell the story that broke their character’s heart. We watch them break all over again. It’s tragic and beautiful.  

This SpeakEasy production isn’t my favorite. Covenant is a curious beast; it has little scares and big surprises. There are freakier Halloween experiences out there for folks looking for a big scare. It isn’t for everyone, but it might be for you. 

Can’t pay full price for tickets? Try any of SpeakEasy’s discount programs. 

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