Review: COVENANT at Goodman Theatre
The Chicago premiere runs through May 31, 2026
What happens when you make a deal with the devil? Covenant asks its characters to find out. Drawing inspiration from both horror films and classic blues music, York Walker’s Chicago premiere play follows a group of characters as they explore their faith — in both Christianity and the supernatural.
Walker slowly builds suspense and foreboding, which are particularly enhanced by the specifical effects in Ryan Emens’s set design. Covenant had me on the edge of my seat waiting for something to happen ... though it ultimately took too long building suspense and not enough time reveling in its creepy climax.
The show opens with a reunion between childhood friends Avery (Jaeda LaVonne) and Johnny “Honeycomb” James (Debo Balogun), a musician who has returned home to 1936 Georgia after two years on the road. When Honeycomb announces his plan to take Avery back on the road with him, Avery’s little sister Violet (Felicia Oduh) is skeptical and her Best Friend Ruthie (Ashli René Funches) is jealous. Meanwhile, Avery and Violet’s devout mother Mama (Anji White — every inch the strictly religious and stern maternal figure) is displeased with this interruption to her tightly-run household.
After Avery and Johnny hit the road, no surprise that it doesn’t all go as expected. And Ruthie recounts that those who make a bargain with him will become in possession of a little red envelope — a symbol of their deal (and Funches is great at telling scary stories). While Covenant has its share of scares — and Emens’s effects are creepy and surprising — the characters ultimately must reckon the most with their own secrets.
Directed by Malkia Stampley for the Goodman, Covenant is finely acted — but the pacing needs tightening. Walker introduces a number of different concepts and horror-adjacent plot points. While the ending comes to a satisfying and engaging conclusion, the actors spend a great time of stage time sharing spooky folk tales using direct address. I understand this was meant to give each performer a moment to shine, but only some of the folk tales were ultimately relevant to the plotline. The others were tangential and really took me out of the action.
The Great Performances and Emens’s arsenal of effects are a fun combination that emphasize Covenant’s connection to the horror genre — without tipping too far into the mega frightening or gory. LaVonne in particular is stellar as Avery — particularly because her character undergoes a radical transformation that requires Lavonne to change her entire demeanor. She does so convincingly.
Thematically and aesthetically, Covenant reminds me of the recent Oscar-nominated film Sinners (though there’s no vampires). Fans of that movie or Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 2025 production Leroy and Lucy will likely enjoy this play. Likewise, while it’s nowhere near as terrifying effects-wise as Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Paranormal Activity, horror fans who enjoy being spooked live in the theater will appreciate this, too.
Covenant plays the Owen Theatre at Goodman Theatre, 170 North Dearborn, through May 31, 2026. Tickets are $24 - $64, subject to change.
Photo Credit: Hugo Hentoff
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