The world is full of things that go bump in the night—closet doors that inch open seemingly on their own, floorboards that groan beneath an invisible weight, things that have haunted you since you were old enough to fear your own shadow. But the world’s most disturbing horrors don’t bump at all—they click; they creak. Puppets, as it turns out, are nightmare fuel carved from wood. Rough House Puppet Arts is all too aware of marionettes’ capability to shock, awe and terrify.
Every October, Rough House transforms Steppenwolf Theatre’s Merle Reskin Space into House of the Exquisite Corpse, Chicago’s one and only puppet-powered haunted house. For its fifth iteration, the horror installation—whose general motif changes every year—resurrects with the unifying theme of “blood.”
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Each artist team contributing to House of the Exquisite Corpse V: Blood & Puppets interpreted the “blood” theme in wildly different ways, spawning vignettes with eerie titles like “Blood & Power,” “Blood & Family” and “Blood & Sacrifice.” From ghastly post-apocalyptic fables to grisly allegories about the medical industrial complex, true-to-life horrors reside in each of the House’s rooms, each with its own chilling tale to tell through physical performance, sound design and illusion.
“Get ready to be transfused! I mean, transformed,” Claire Saxe, cofounder and artistic director of Rough House Puppet Arts says. “Our annual Halloween production gives local artists the freedom to follow their own visions, create in their own style and be inspired by whatever type of horror freaks them out most.”
Each room in the House does, indeed, feel like a personal dungeon of dread. Upon entering, guests convene in a makeshift foyer where they can purchase much-needed liquid courage from a bar slinging beer, wine and specialty cocktails. Then, in timed entries, guests trickle into the House’s dark confines. With six total rooms, each chamber corresponds with a five-minute story that can be heard through headphones. Visitors weave through hallways, peep through keyholes and walk through hidden doors to encounter a litany of marionette-driven horrors.
With a runtime of 45 minutes—and no intermission—audiences will find no moment of respite from this house of horrors. Even the hallways connecting the House’s rooms are haunted by screams, shadows and, of course, plenty of blood. Hearts are torn from teddy bears’ chests, papier-mâché birds attempt to flap away from imminent death and the spine-chilling sounds of bones shredding and blood rushing will haunt audiences long after they escape the House’s confines.
For those who dare to enter the House, arrive early for your visit: There are plenty of frights awaiting you in the production’s lobby, which has been transformed into a macabre art installation. Read “blood oaths” scrawled on blood drop-shaped posters and read up on the making of the show thanks to an “anatomical” poster explaining the construction of the House. Audience members are encouraged to share their own ideas for five-minute horror stories via slips of paper attached to drooping, vein-like streamers.
House of the Exquisite Corpse V: Blood & Puppets is open Thursdays through Saturdays until November 1 at Steppenwolf Theatre’s Merle Reskin Space. Tickets can be purchased here for $21 to $46. Recommended for audiences aged 13 and over.