
Want to go behind-the-scenes of Chicago’s one and only puppet haunted house?
Rough House Puppet Arts’ House of the Exquisite Corpse returns October 8-November 1 at The Merle at Steppenwolf Theatre. New this year, the company is introducing an All-Inclusive Experience that includes ALL the perks: the show, a drink ticket, a giveaway at entry and a coveted backstage tour.
First, you’ll join a small group of puppet horror voyeurs on visits to six rooms where you’ll peer through keyholes, cracks, and hidden doors to witness the carnage and gallows humor inside. Then, after the final entry, All-Inclusive VIPs will be welcomed back into the House and invited to step inside each room for a behind-the-scenes encounter with this year’s frightful puppets.
Rough House is offering All-Inclusive Experiences Thursdays and Sundays, October 8 - October 25, last entry time only. So treat yourself to something up close and spooky and help the arts thrive. The All-Inclusive Experience, $75 plus a $3 booking fee, is ideal for hardcore puppet horror fans and anyone looking for an all-new, immersive Halloween adventure. Limited spots available, so don’t sleep on this offer. Sign up now at roughhousetheater.com/tickets.
Back for its sixth Halloween season, House of the Exquisite Corpse is a singularly immersive puppet horror experience with a new theme for 2026 - LULLABIES - that’s sure to keep you up at night.
Fans of immersive experiences, haunted houses, literature, puppetry and live theater are the ideal audience for Chicago’s most unique Halloween destination. As the Chicago Reader put it, “if you want to move beyond schlock and shock into an elevated horror experience this October, look no further than House of the Exquisite Corpse.”
House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES runs October 8 - November 1: Thursdays through Saturdays, with timed entries starting at 6:50 p.m., continuing every 15 minutes until the last entry at 9:30 p.m. New this year! Sunday matinees, starting at 1:50 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now at roughhousetheater.com/tickets. Sliding scale, Pay What You Can suggested prices are $22 to $47. Note: This production is recommended for ages 13 and over.
Steppenwolf Theatre’s The Merle is located at 1624 N. Halsted in Chicago’s Lincoln Park Neighborhood, just steps away from the CTA Red Line stop at North and Clybourn.
For more information, visit RoughHousePuppets.org and follow the company on Instagram and Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
In the 2019 film Yesterday, a struggling musician wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed. A similar…
Through music, documentary video, sound, photos and live actors, “SANCTUARY STORIES: A JOURNALISM THEATER PROJECT” captures in words and images…
Red Theater is thrilled to announce the cast and production team of the world premiere of Church Hurt by Brynne…
The Auditorium (Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) continues its 2026-27 Dance Season titled North American…
A Red Orchid Theatre is pleased open its 34th Season, exploring the theme of "world on fire," with the Chicago…
Lookingglass Theatre Company today announced a new leadership structure that brings together four longtime members of its acclaimed ensemble and…
Susan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog, the Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, is the kind of play that changes depending on when—and how many times—you…
Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce two fan-favorite shows are returning to our stages this year: MAMMA MIA! and…
Here’s a play that should be really good, based on its reputation alone. Written by Chicago comedy writer Samantha Hurley,…
Innovation Arts & Entertainment, along with Broadway In Chicago, are thrilled to announce single tickets for ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE…
The League of Chicago Theatres announces the return of It's Theatre Season, a campaign inviting Chicagoans and visitors to discover…
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to launch its 51st Season with the world premiere of…
Lookingglass Theatre’s production of Kowalski offers a gripping, fictionalized glimpse into the first meeting between two theater greats: Tennessee Williams…
Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, continues…
Detroit was burning in the summer of 1967, inside one basement, life was still going on. That contrast is at…
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble closes its milestone 30th season with Bonnie’s Last Flight, a sly, sky‑high comedy set during a flight…
Teatro Vista Productions, the Midwest's only Latine-led Equity theatre company, led by Executive Director Lorena Diaz and Artistic Director Wendy…
If anyone has ever told you to buckle up and enjoy the ride, they were talking about life—and even if…
Erik Gernand is resident playwright at Redtwist Theatre, and his Prayer Circle is absolutely laugh-out-loud funny. The strength of this…
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to present Graceful Warrior: An Evening with Gary Sinise on Tuesday, November…
Studebaker Theater, P3 Productions and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions, present the Chicago premiere of the groundbreaking, award-winning new hip-hop musical Mexodus, written and performed…
LUMA8 and the City of Chicago return with the 12th Annual Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade, a family-friendly celebration…
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, presents Halloween Boo Bash, its annual costumed fundraiser benefiting artists' wages…
What happens when three young people discover hip-hop and realize they might have something to say? Idris Goodwin’s How We…
Open Space Arts presents BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY, a three-week theatrical exploration of LGBTQ+ theater created during and in response to…
Northlight Theatre opened its new venue with Jeffrey Hatcher’s smart, rejuvenated adaptation of The Front Page. Commissioned by Artistic Director…
There are some productions you watch, and then there are productions that make your heart swoon and your toe tap.…
Overshadowed Productions’ Flame of Fire revisits one of the most polarizing true stories in mid‑century missionary history, and the result…
At intermission, I sent Ken, Buzz Center Stage’s managing editor, a text: “So thankful I made it!! It’s intermission, and…
Coincidentally (or not), Victory Gardens’ new play about a controversial campus speaker opens just days after the one-year anniversary of…
Operation Mincemeat: A Smart, Scrappy Musical That Shines When Its Cast Takes the Wheel
MAMMA MIA! and HADESTOWN Return to Chicago in Spring 2027
SANCTUARY STORIES - A JOURNALISM THEATER PROJECT October 9-18 at the Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture
Red Theater presents the world premiere of CHURCH HURT October 24 - November 21, 2026
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.