The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of York Walker's Covenant opened Off-Broadway October 26, and the reviews are rolling in.
Directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, the production began previews October 5 at the Black Box Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. The play is a part of the company's new-play initiative, Roundabout Underground, now in its 16th season.
Covenant follows a struggling guitarist, who returns to his small Georgia town after becoming a Blues star. Rumors swirl that he may have made a deal with the devil to attain his musical genius. However, it becomes clear he's not the only one with a secret.
The cast of the world premiere features Crystal Dickinson (Clybourne Park) as Mama, Chaundre Hall-Broomfield (Hamilton national tour) as Johnny ‘Honeycomb’ James, Ashley Hildreth (The Play That Goes Wrong) as Violet, Jade Payton as Avery, and Lark White as Ruthie.
Read the reviews below.
New York Magazine/Vulture (Sara Holdren)*
New York Theatre Guide (Kyle Turner)
The New York Times (Juan A. Ramírez)*
TheaterMania (Christian Lewis)
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The production also has choreography by Stephen Buescher, magic and illusions by Steve Cuiffo, set design by Lawrence Moten, lighting design by Cha See, costume design by Ari Fulton, and original music and sound design by Justin Ellington. The production stage manager is Garrett Kerr.
Playwright Walker is the inaugural recipient of the Vineyard Theatre's Colman Domingo Award. He is also a member of Marcus Gardley's New Wave Writer's Workshop, and his works include Holcomb & Hart, The Séance, White Shoes, Summer of ’63, and Soul Records.
Performances are currently scheduled through December 3.
Tickets for all Roundabout Underground productions are priced $30. Visit RoundaboutTheatre.org.
Crystal Dickinson and Lark White in Covenant
Ashley N. Hildreth, Crystal Dickinson, and Jade Payton in Covenant
Jade Payton, Crystal Dickinson, Ashley N. Hildreth, and Lark White in Covenant
Chaundre Hall-Broomfield and Jade Payton in Covenant
Ashley N. Hildreth and Jade Payton in Covenant
Lark White, Ashley N. Hildreth, and Jade Payton in Covenant
