The Alliance Theatre Announces Cast and Creative Team for Covenant
A CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SUSPENSE-FILLED THRILLER DELIVERING ONE DEVILISH TWIST AFTER ANOTHER
WRITTEN BY YORK WALKER
DIRECTED BY TINASHE KAJESE-BOLDEN
ON THE HERTZ STAGE
OCTOBER 8 – NOVEMBER 9, 2025
The Alliance Theatre is excited to announce the cast of its upcoming production, COVENANT. Written by York Walker and directed by the Alliance Theatre’s Jennings Hertz Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, COVENANT runs on the Hertz Stage, October 8 through November 9, 2025. Opening night is Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
Described as “a striking Southern Gothic work” (The New York Times), COVENANT is a haunting new play that pushes the boundaries between myth and reality. Avery is desperate for a way out of her small Georgia town. When her childhood friend Johnny returns after making a name for himself as a blues star, Avery may have found her chance. But Johnny’s sudden fame leads to gossip that he made a deal with the devil to attain his newfound musical genius, and before long it becomes clear that he’s not the only one in town with a secret. A suspense-filled thriller that delivers one devilish twist after another, COVENANT explores the gripping power of belief and the thin veil between rumor and truth.
“Anytime I write something, it feels like a collaboration between my intentions and something bigger – like there is a world where the play is already written, and all I did was pull from that to try and build what we have in COVENANT,” said Playwright York Walker. “A person who grew up in a religious household, like me, will bring specific things to this experience and will probably walk away from it very differently from somebody who didn't grow up with religion at all. There is something about the genre of horror and the experience of exploring our fears that’s really interesting to me. COVENANT was born from curiosity; curiosity about what horror could look like on stage, with Black characters, without it being corny.”
The cast of COVENANT features Brittany Deneen (Actor’s Express: Sunset Baby) as Violet, Deidrie Henry (Alliance Theatre: Everybody, Blues for an Alabama Sky) as Mama, Jade Payton (Off-Broadway: Covenant, Netflix: Glamorous) as Avery, Alaysia Renay Duncan as Ruthie (Regional: The Winter's Tale), and Nick Sanders (BET: Second Generation Winans; Alliance Theatre: A Christmas Carol) as Johnny “Honeycomb” James.
The creative team of COVENANT is led by Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and includes Kenny Leon Directing Fellow and Associate Director Candy McLellan, Scenic and Lighting Designer Jiyoun Chang, Costume Designer Shilla Benning, Sound Designer Melanie Chen Cole, Fight Choreographer Jake Guinn, and Mental Health Consultant Laura Morse.
Additional production support includes Stage Manager Barbara Gantt O’Haley, and Stage Management Production Assistant Samantha Honeycutt.
Performances of COVENANT run on the Hertz Stage October 8 through November 9, 2025 – learn more.
