What Rough House Media does

Rough House Puppet Arts (operating as Rough House, formerly Harrow House) is an independent, founder-led performing arts organization founded in 2009 in Logan Square, Chicago, and incorporated in 2014. The company produces original puppet theater that integrates puppetry with physical theater, music, and visual arts. Its two principal programming lines are the annual immersive haunted puppet anthology "House of the Exquisite Corpse" (now in its fifth year, staged in October) and the "Nasty, Brutish & Short" (NBS) puppet cabaret series.

The organization runs a layered business around its productions. It operates a pay-what-you-can pricing model with suggested donations of $21–$46 scaled to attendee income, against a stated production cost of approximately $36 per seat. Alongside public performances, it runs artist development programs — Puppets in Progress (PiPs), Expansion Residency, and Puppetry Pathways — as well as workshops. Ticketing is processed via Ticket Tailor; flagship productions have been staged at partner venues including Steppenwolf Theatre. The company is privately held, receives no disclosed external funding, has no parent entity, and has made no acquisitions.

Rough House serves two primary customer segments: adult Chicago theater audiences seeking immersive and alternative performance experiences, and emerging puppet artists seeking structured development opportunities. Revenue is generated through ticket donations, workshop fees, and donations/grants. Earned media coverage includes American Theatre Magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Operations are entirely concentrated in Chicago.

Name

Rough House Media

Legal name

Rough House Puppet Arts

Website

https://roughhousetheater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Rough House Puppet Arts is a Chicago-based puppet theater company founded in 2009 that produces immersive haunted puppet anthologies, cabarets, and artist development programs for adult theater audiences and emerging puppet artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO), Event Theming, Mood Boards & Concept Design (HSACAOAH)

Keywords

• Immersive puppet theater
• Puppet cabaret
• Artist development programs
• Live theatrical performances
• Pay-what-you-can tickets

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Pay-what-you-can ticketing for all feature productions and workshops. Ticket revenue goes directly to compensating artists and program personnel. Suggested prices range from $21-$46 based on income level.
2. Donations and Support: Accepts donations through Givelively platform. Many supporters pay above suggested ticket prices ($30, $50, $100+) to support the pay-what-you-can program.
3. Classes and Workshops: Educational programs including workshops, artist development, and community classes in puppetry arts.
4. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates available for purchase through Ticket Tailor store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rough House Puppet Arts is a Chicago-based puppet theater company that creates and presents immersive live puppet performances, including an annual multi-room haunted puppet anthology (House of the Exquisite Corpse) and a recurring puppet cabaret (Nasty, Brutish & Short). The company also runs artist development programs—Puppets in Progress (PiPs), Expansion Residency, Puppetry Pathways, and public workshops—supporting emerging and established puppet artists. Productions are staged primarily at Steppenwolf Theatre's Merle Reskin Space and ticketed through a pay-what-you-can model.

Product overview

Rough House is a Chicago-based puppet theater company founded in 2009 that creates immersive puppet performances and supports the puppetry arts community. The company's core offerings center on two main formats: the annual 'House of the Exquisite Corpse' immersive haunted puppet anthology (running each October since 2021, evolved from the earlier Harrow House series), and the recurring 'Nasty, Brutish & Short' puppet cabaret. Beyond performances, Rough House operates a suite of artist development programs including 'Puppets in Progress' for emerging artists, the 'Expansion Residency' for mid-career artists, 'Puppetry Pathways' for beginners, and public 'Workshops'. The company also presents additional productions like 'Out With It' and special events such as the annual Bowling Party fundraiser.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• House of the Exquisite Corpse Annual immersive puppet horror anthology featuring six themed rooms of puppet installations viewed through peep-holes in a pop-up haunted house setting. Each October, a new themed edition is created with six teams of Chicago artists and runs at Steppenwolf Theatre's Merle Reskin Space in Chicago. Targeted at adult theatergoers seeking experimental, immersive performances.
• Nasty, Brutish & Short (NBS) Puppet Cabaret Recurring puppet cabaret show featuring diverse artists and performers in a curated variety-show format. Offers audio-described performances, captioned virtual live streams, and physically accessible venues at Constellation in Chicago. Targeted at adult audiences interested in short-form puppet performance.
• Puppets in Progress (PiPs) Artist incubation program supporting emerging puppet artists in developing new works through workshops, mentorship, and performance opportunities. Targeted at emerging puppet artists seeking professional development.
• Expansion Residency Residency program for mid-career puppet artists to advance their artistic practice and create new works. Targeted at established puppet artists seeking dedicated creation time.
• Puppetry Pathways Entry-level educational program introducing beginners to puppetry arts, making puppetry accessible to newcomers. Targeted at community members and hobbyists interested in starting puppetry practice.
• Workshops Public workshops teaching puppetry techniques, creation methods, and performance skills. Offered with pay-what-you-can ticketing and accessibility accommodations including audio description and ASL interpretation. Targeted at community members, students, and aspiring artists.
• Out With It Show production listed in the shows section of the Rough House website. Targeted at general theater audiences.
• The Life Uncanny: A Puppet Séance A puppet séance performance listed in the Rough House calendar. Targeted at adult audiences interested in experimental and immersive puppet theater.
• Bowling Party Annual bowling party fundraiser event supporting Rough House Puppet Arts, with the 2026 edition scheduled for August 30. Targeted at community supporters and donors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pay-what-you-can model enables broad accessibility across income levels
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Steppenwolf TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Steppenwolf Theatre provides its Merle Reskin Space as the venue for Rough House's annual House of the Exquisite Corpse productions. The venue at 1624 N Halsted includes accessible parking and facilities. This is a key venue partnership for the company's flagship annual haunted puppet anthology.
• Ticket TailorcoreTechnology or IntegrationTicket Tailor provides the online ticketing platform for Rough House Puppet Arts, handling ticket sales for performances, workshops, and gift certificates.
• Arts MidwestminorOthersFeatured in Arts Midwest story on puppetry in Chicago, indicating organizational support or recognition from this regional arts funder.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Great Small Works: New York-based collaborative puppet theater company that produces original performances and community-based programs. Comparable as an artist-driven puppet organization with an emphasis on original work and community engagement.
• Manual Cinema: Chicago-based immersive theater company that uses handmade objects, puppets, and live projection to create cinematic, multi-layered performances. Operates in the same Chicago niche theater ecosystem as Rough House and serves overlapping adult audiences seeking innovative, non-traditional theatrical experiences.
• Sandglass Theater: Vermont-based puppet theater company creating original works that combine puppetry, music, and visual storytelling. Comparable as an independent, artist-led puppet company developing original productions and community-based programming outside major institutional structures.
• Blair Thomas & Company: Chicago-based professional puppet theater company producing original works for adult audiences. Directly comparable as a fellow Chicago puppet organization creating original, artist-driven productions for similar demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago's flagship regional theater and Rough House's venue partner for House of the Exquisite Corpse. Comparable as part of the same Chicago theater ecosystem and overlapping audience base, though operating at much larger institutional scale with broader programming.
• Lookingglass Theatre Company: Chicago-based theater company known for physically innovative, ensemble-driven productions. Adjacent to Rough House's immersive theatrical style and serves overlapping Chicago audiences, though it operates at a larger institutional scale.
• The Second City: Chicago's iconic comedy and improv theater company. Tangentially comparable as a Chicago performing arts institution with education programs and ticketed shows, though focused on comedy rather than puppetry.
• Center for Puppetry Arts: Atlanta-based major puppetry institution with performances, workshops, and a museum. Comparable as an established puppetry organization with educational programming and ticketed performances, though at significantly larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Rough.House.Puppets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rough House Media