'Haunted Basement' To Move Out Of The Soap Factory, Become Independent Project

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After a decade of scaring the wits out of fear fans, the Haunted Basement is creeping out of The Soap Factory and will be forming an independent project.

On Monday in a joint press release, The Soap Factory and Haunted Basement announced the next "evolution" of the Haunted Basement. The announcement comes after news earlier this year that the Soap Factory will be undergoing a year-long renovation.

"The Soap Factory's basement was a star performer in its own right – creepy, dark, and full of twists and turns without any of us having to add a thing," said Haunted Basement Creative Director Christopher Barton. "It was that supernatural quality that made The Soap Factory such a great setting for our project. We're excited to see where this next step takes us, but we're going to miss running our performances in that gorgeously awful, ghost-infested space."

Very few details of the independent project have been revealed, but more details are forthcoming on that and this year's production, according to the release.

"The Soap Factory has, and will always be, a place for experimentation and risk-taking. It is a huge success to see a program grow beyond The Soap Factory and take flight on its own," Soap's Executive Director Bill Mague said.

The Soap Factory, founded by artists in 1989, is housed in a historic National Purity Soap Factory warehouse on 514 Second Street Southeast in downtown Minneapolis.