House of the Exquisite Corpse III: A Haunted Puppet Anthology

Rough House Theater's annual Halloween seasonal haunt, House of the Exquisite Corpse III, rises from the dead for its third reign of puppet theater terror.

This year's peep show/puppet theater anthology is inspired by the book “Our Homes and How to Keep Them Healthy,” published in 1883 by Robert Brudenell Carter. A team of top Chicago puppet theater artists have each selected different chapters, like “The Evils of the Common Closet” and “The Dangers of Dust,” to unleash and lay open their darkest creative impulses. 

For 2023, House of the Exquisite Corpse III stitches together six all-new puppet peep-shows newly created by Chicago artists who work in multiple disciplines, including Pablo Monterrubio-Benet and Grace Needlman, Tom Lee and Sam Lewis, Corey Smith, Claire Bauman, Chio Cabrera and Jacky Kelsey, Justin D’Acci and Sion Silva, Ken Buckingham, and Felix Mayes and Kevin Michael Wesson. Process directors are Claire Saxe and Mike Oleon.

Recommended for audiences aged 13 and over.

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Tickets are Pay What You Want

Pay What You Want lets you choose how much to pay for a ticket. Nothing should stand between between you and great puppet art, least of all a brutal social construct like money. Suggested prices can be found by selecting different ticketing options on this page. For more info on how we make Pay What You Can work, click here

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. One or two of the segments will be seated. Chairs can be made available for those with difficulty standing for long stretches.

 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 are feeling ill, do not come. Check below for our policy on COVID-related exchanges or refunds.

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FAQs

Wheelchair Access and Mobility Assistance
This venue and show are wheelchair accessible. Additional mobility accommodations are available. If anyone in your party needs mobility assistance, there will be an option to let us know at the ticket checkout.

Rough House does not currently have additional auditory or visual accessibility accommodations in place for this production. However, our Front of House team is more than happy to discuss any concerns and do our best to help make this show a smooth and positive experience for all audience members! Please reach out to us at BoxOffice@roughhousetheater.com

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 side 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 Refunds
If you or someone in your party shows any sign of illness or COVID-related symptoms, been exposed to COVID-19, or test positive for COVID-19 within 7 days prior to your attendance of the show, do not come. We will try and reschedule you or will fully refund the cost of admission up to 3 hours before the first show of each evening. Refunds may take up to 48 hours to process. Please reach out at boxoffice@roughousetheater.com