FAQ

What is this place?
If you’re Anarchists, why can’t I break all your shit?
Is it safe for my child to come here?
Can I sleep here?
Can I live here?
Can I play a show here?
How much is cover?
It’s a donation, right? So I can get in for free?
Can I work in your garden?
How can I help out?

What is this place?
The Trumbullplex is a radical housing collective with two houses and an active art space. We’re also constructing a Zine Library in the Theater. The Wayne Association for Collective Housing is the name of the housing collective, and for some reason we call the theatre collective Son of a Plex. Weird. Both collectives work on principles of mutual aid, horizontal decision making, and consensus.

If you’re Anarchists, why can’t I break all your shit?
While in general Anarchists are much prettier, more party having, and awesome people this doesn’t mean we advocate complete and total chaos. There is a huge difference between the dictionary definition of the word “anarchy” and the political philosophy Anarchism. While I would love (seriously) to spend literally days explaining it to you, there’s plenty of more appropriate times and places for me to do so. If you’re interested in learning about it, this is a very thorough introduction.

Is it safe for my child/teenager to come here?
Generally speaking our shows are probably appropriate for anyone high-school-age and up, but much of that depends on the nature of the event (is it a puppet show, a punk show, or both, for instance). Obviously, this is a question of discretion, so we cannot definitively answer this question. Woodbridge is a neighborhood composed of mostly families and college students. Just like in any unfamiliar place, your child should stay in sight of others and, if they go around the neighborhood, walk around in a group. You can send your child to a show here knowing that everyone around will be watching out for each other.

And, of course, if you’re weary, then consider chaperoning. I remember the respect and admiration I had for my friends parents when they were taking me to shows here.

Can I sleep here?
No.

But I’m in a band/group that just performed…
Oh! Okay, well let us know when you book the show if you need a place to crash. It’ll probably be okay as long as we know beforehand.

Can I live here?
It’s certainly a possibility, but here’s some thing to keep in mind:
Detroit is in the spotlight for a lot of reasons right now. Some people love it here and just want to get along, while others come here to take advantage of our situation (cheaper rent, exploitable labor, etc). My suggestion is that you get to know the neighborhood first. Make sure you like where you are and get to know the house members. When you live here you’re not just moving into a place where you can sleep, eat, and shit. You’re moving into a community. Make sure the place actually suits your needs. That said, if you’re an action oriented person and you want to live in a collective then email us, get to know us, and we’ll letcha know.

Can I or my band/theater troupe/rap group/spoken word act/poetry guild/circus sideshow/creative thing/etc. play a show here?
Probably. We do not book through this website or facebook, so you should send us an email if you want to do a show. See our contact page.

How much is cover for most events?
We ask for a $6 donation at almost every show. Sometimes it’s more or less depending on the nature of the event (benefits for things are sometimes more, art shows are sometimes less). In general, you can expect about $6 and almost always under $10. I wouldn’t pay over $10 to get into a show, so why should you?

It’s a donation, right? So I can get in for free?
Most of our shows have touring performers and we try to give them adequate gas money. While on tour their vans can break down, their girlfriends/boyfriends can dump them, they might get stuck in a storm, they have to sleep in our freezing cold house, and sometimes they only break even after door money. On top of that we, the theater collective, are putting on these events and providing our community with a local anti-corporate show space while trying to make it a safe environment for everyone. On top of that, the roof needs constant maintenance, we’ve got a huge plumbing problem we’ll have to fix soon, and we do all this work for no money. Not like, “I work at Wal-Mart and make no money,” like zero dollars.
So if you’re short on cash or just really can’t afford the show this time, yeah, we’ll probably let you in. But if you just run by us, trying not to be seen, or walk in with a case of beer and say you’ve got no money, you’re an asshole.

Can I work in your garden?
Yaaawp. Email us and tell us what’s up.

How can I help out?
Come to shows and support us. Or you can donate your labor to one of our numerous repairs. Or you can throw together a benefit for us. You could come to the door and pay in cookies. That would help.

Don’t see your question answered? Feel free to email us. trumbullplex(at)gmail(dot)com