BLOOD & PUPPETS: Opening Night: Friday, October 10

Be among the first to see HOUSE OF THE EXQUISITE CORPSE V: BLOOD AND PUPPETS, and join the artists after for an exquisite fundraising bash! Your ticket includes the show, a drink, nibbles & treats, horrific carnival games & crafts, exclusive behind-the-scenes access and elbow-rubbing with artists, and great times with your fellow puppet-lovers! Plus, you're supporting strange and beautiful art. Quadruple win.

House of the Exquisite Corpse V: Blood & Puppets runs October 9-November 1 at Steppenwolf Theatre’s Merle Reskin Space. Six teams of Chicago artists will bring life to six unique puppet terror experiences, tapping a new vein of horror – Blood – for its unifying theme in 2025.

Directors this year are Chicago puppet artists Felix Mayes and Corey Smith, veterans of House of the Exquisite Corpse and the haunt’s first-ever guest directors. Artistic teams are Saskia Bakker & Emilie Wingate; madigan burke & Nina D’Angier; Casey Doe & Quinn Kempe; Chih-Jou Cheng & Charlie Malave; Justin D’Acci & Vim Hile; and, Pablo Monterrubio & Fletcher Pierson. Production manager is Anastar Alvarez. Stage manager is Lenny Fritsch.

Be prepared to move during this show!

Audiences enter, if you dare, in small groups via timed entries. Once inside, you must brave its dark halls for approximately 50 minutes, stopping at each room to spy through keyholes, cracks, and hidden doors to see the horrors happening within.

You will be mostly on your feet for the ~1 hour production. Chairs can be made available for those with difficulty standing for long stretches.

Facilities and Accessibility

The Merle Reskin Space at Steppenwolf provides accessible entrances and restrooms. Rough House is committed to ensuring accessibility for all attendees. We offer the following accommodations for the show, including:
• Accessible Seating
• Audio Descriptions
• Plain Language Summaries
• Print-outs of Spoken Text

Every audience member receives personal audio through headphones, providing an individualized listening experience by default, making additional assistive listening devices unnecessary.

If you need additional accommodations, please contact Artistic Director, Claire Saxe, at claire@roughhousetheater.com We kindly ask that requests be made at least 48 hours prior to the show.

Sensory Warnings

For attendees with sensory sensitivities, please be aware that our show may include:

• Fog and Haze
• Flashing Lights
• Loud Noises
• Depictions of Puppet Violence

Parking

Self-parking is available in the Steppenwolf parking garage at 1624 N Halsted for $17.

Accessible parking spaces are located in Steppenwolf’s valet parking lot at 1700 N Halsted, one block north of the theater. Patrons who park here may pay the standard rate of $17 at Steppenwolf’s café in Front Bar.

Come Vaccinated. Masks recommended.

For the health and safety of our audiences and especially our performers, we suggest that all audience members wear a mask and we ask that everyone be vaccinated unless you have a medical exception. If you or someone in your party shows any sign of illness or COVID-related symptoms, please stay home! Email us! We'll exchange your ticket for a time when you're healthy! boxoffice@roughousetheater.com

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FAQs

What is an “Immersive Puppet Haunted House”?
There are 6 haunted ‘rooms’— large boxes that contain a ~6min puppet show, which is viewed through peep-holes cut in the sides of the box.You will be assembled in a small group according to your ticket time. You approach the first box, find a hole at a comfortable height, view the show, and when it is done, proceed to the next box and find your spot. The next group will be right behind you. Stationed at each hole are a pair of headphones (cleaned at frequent intervals) for you, the viewer, to hear the audio that accompanies the puppet show.

COVID-related Cancellations and Exchanges
If you or someone in your party shows any sign of illness or COVID-related symptoms, please stay home! Email us! We'll exchange your ticket for a time when you're healthy! boxoffice@roughousetheater.com