Rough House

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Rough House, Nonprofit Organization, Chicago, IL.

"It is most of all dirt that gives the roughness its edge; filth and vulgarity are natural, obscenity is joyous: with these the spectacle takes on its socially liberating role, for by nature the popular theatre is anti-authoritarian, anti-traditional, anti-pomp, anti-pretense. This is the theatre of noise, and the theatre of noise is the theatre of applause."

-Peter Brook, "The Rough Theatre" from The Empty Space

"The poet who has collected this puppet farce from the very lips of the people has reason to believe that this evening’s cultured audience will embrace, with pure heart and intelligence, the deliciously rough language of puppets. The rhythm, the imagination, and the charming liberty of expression that the poet has preserved here is the property of true puppet theater, which expresses the folk imagination and communicates its charm and innocence."
-La Tarumba de Don Cristobal

10/14/2026

Sending a big shout out to the organizations who donated to the Rough House giveaway!

Visit our lobby during show hours until Nov 1 at House of the Exquisite Co**se VI: LULLABIES for more information and to submit your entry for some amazing goodies donated thanks to the generosity of our giveaway participants, including:

“Long Live Storefront Theatre”-2 tickets to Impostor Theatre and 2 tickets to Red Twist Theatre shows of your choice.

“Drama, Drama, Drama!” -2 tickets to “Adirondack Chair Circle” at Steppenwolf Theatre and 2 tickets to any show of your choice at Raven Theatre.

Printers package- A $50 gift certificate for Midwest Ephemera letterpress printing and a $60 gift certificate for Field Notes.

Grand prize -Dinner for two with the director and select puppeteers, plus a limited edition show poster signed by cast and crew.

10/13/2026

📣Shout out to our powerful production stage management team at House of the Exquisite Co**se (shown in image 1: Tess Duncan, Kacey Lindeman & Emi Cruz), and Front of House team (shown in image 2: Mikayla Wilson & Lucy Wirtz). These are the people who keep the show going smoothly! 👏👏👏

More candid moments to come from other team members soon🤞🤩

10/12/2026

Wake up! You were having a nightmare and yes, week one of House of the Exquisite Co**se VI: LULLABIES is already over.

If you missed it—Check out these gorgeous photos from . They capture the vibe of a few of the 6 rooms and nooks and crannies that get you there.

Doors open again on Thursday October 15th at 6:50 PM. The 7:50 & 8:05 time slots are already sold out and the weekend is filling up fast…so we know you need your rest, but maybe slumber after you grab those tickets.

10/09/2026

Meet Jackie Berland, the environmental designer! Jackie stitches the seams of the show together by fully immersing us in a haunted world from the minute we enter the House of the Exquisite Co**se!

Jackie is a Chicago based fabricator and immersive world activator. They work their little t***y off to open portals to unfamiliar places, new and old. They always have one eye in the fairy realm, and work to bring that into unexpected places. By stumbling into a fantasy, presentness and soulful encounters become as easy as breathing.

Come see Jackie’s installations between the rooms and marvel!

10/08/2026

Meet Lobby Immersion creator, Jacqueline Wade! 🤩

Jacqueline is a native of Philadelphia who has lived in New York and Chicago. A graduate of Temple University Theater Department, Jacqueline also attended Circle in the Square Two Year Certificate Actor’s Training Program in New York City. She holds a graduate MFA Degree from the City College of New York in Film from the Film Department.
Jacqueline’s goal is to create works of art as an activist artist that deal with the human condition, race, and social justice issues. She wants to make positive changes and actions through her work. She wants to empower others. Jacqueline comes from an extensive theater background of acting, directing, playwriting, puppetry, teaching, producing, and film work. She combines puppetry, theater with documentary and narrative filmmaking, animation along with interactive media.

Come see her epic creation in the lobby of House of the Exquisite Co**se VI:LULLABIES, opening TODAY-Thursday, October 8, and playing until November 1!

10/07/2026

This year, lobby immersion at House of The Exquisite Co**se is provided by Sion Silva (with costume assistance from Rosalie) and Jacqueline Wade (our next featured artist).

Sion and Rosalie have created a true horror scape which Sion says is “Inspired by religious imagery of The Theotokos mixed with the Highland Fairy Lullaby, ‘The Fae Tithe’ is an idolatory bust of a Fae Priestess presenting her Changeling child as a sacrifice to the gods that grant their long lives and mystical essence. Inside her belly lies a tree where small Changeling infants are gathered to be taken away by an otherwordly creature, a messenger know as The Phage, while deeper within her ribcage hidden are the faces of The Taken that secretly loom in mourning.”

🦇Sion is a non-binary Chicago based visual artist, puppet maker and performer whose personal work specializes in the philosophy of myth and the macabre. As a freelance art and puppetry fabricator, they often work alongside Chicago Puppet Studio, Rabbitfoot Puppetry, and Rough House.

🐦‍⬛Rosalie is a costume technician, scenic & props artist, and designer with nearly fifteen years of experience in their craft. Rosalie made their debut with roughhouse in this years earlier Expansion Showcase event, performing in and costuming the world of “The Graveyard of Eden”. Although they are a newer face in the puppetry scene, Rosalie’s theatre and cosplay background serves to provide the whimsy, textural beauty, visual storytelling and attention to detail desired to uplift the art and the fantasy world that it brings to life.

Come see their amazing collaboration in the lobby of House of the Exquisite Co**se—opening in a heartbeat🖤 at The Merle Steppenwolf Theatre Company .

Ticket link in bio✔️🗝️🐈‍⬛

10/05/2026

Just a couple of days until opening and we’ve got a newsflash for you: Interior design can be creepy—just add dolls 😬🍼 🙀. Jackie Berland, Nina D'Angier, Melissa Schlesinger, and Kendall Buckingham have been busy putting together the vibes of the venue as you stroll from room to room at House of the Exquisite Co**se VI: LULLABIES.

Thanks to Molly Sharfstein 🏳️‍🌈🐙 and Jackie for photos!

Tickets available now!👆🍼👆🍼

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

https://www.roughhousepuppets.org/

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