How I Became Wooly, Part I
by Gil Poulin

In 1986, twenty-five short years ago, when the incredibly awesome AS220 rise-and-run was just beginning, a URI actor/poet friend of mine and I heard the buzz, broke through the Mason-Dixon Line that exists between SoCo and Providence, saw a couple of shows in a rehearsal room above the Ocean State Performing Arts Center, and were hooked on the improvisational, free-form art happening before our eyes. We proceeded to gather our poetry, skits, unchoreographed dance moves, and our mutual passion to get up on a stage and make an audience think. Or just say, "Holy Shit!"

We began to ponder about things we wanted a hip audience to see/hear/experience on stage, and with a timeslot, we called some acting/musical/technical friends in the RI/NYC area and arranged a thematic show, a "poetic drama", walked-through, dress-rehearsed, and presented, all in one day. Seat-of-your-pants, first-thought-best-thought productions. We did a few of these happenings at AS220's various homes throughout the years---Weybosset St., Richmond St. above the Rocket, and Empire St.---always hungry for the ultimate audience reaction to a show shaped by the limitless boundaries of our collective imaginations. We fell short, but god did we have a great time doing it!

In the summer of 2009, I began to feel that same buzz from two AMS colleagues of mine, Erin Murphy and Sam White, when I began to hear the plans for the latest installment of Wooly Fair: Wooled of Wheels. I saw the wacky posters and other collateral being produced for something that seemed to me like an urban Burning Man (I must admit, I've never been, but I've heard the legend), I saw the excitement in their faces when they spoke of Human Bowling or Bad Date Obstacle Course games, and I thought to myself, "Jeez; I haven't seen or heard this much excitement about a thematic happening since…HEY! Wait a minute! This sounds very familiar!" I didn't attend in 2009 due to a number of out-of-state, pressing obligations, but I did become awfully curious.

In the early winter of 2010, at a Trinity Brewhouse table, with a need to involve myself in the Providence arts community and a sudden, unusual amount of free time on my hands, I was asked if I wanted to help with Wooly Fair: Back to Nature. Although I really didn't know what I was doing, or even what Wooly Fair was all about, I started fundraising for a Fair-Raiser and helping a little with the build-out for it. I started with businesses and people I knew (Charlie Fishbein at the Coffee Exchange, Ralph Goudreau at ACME Video, Brian Jepson at O'Reilly Media/Maker), and reached out from there. I met more people at Monohasset Mill, listened to some awfully creative people erupt with ideas from every corner of their gray matter, struggled to keep up, and eventually fell in love with the concept of Wooly Fair. With every gift certificate and donation I secured on behalf of Wooly Fair, and with every conversation I had with people in the Providence area about Wooly Fair, I felt like I was really helping to build the event, even though I wasn't doing an artistic installation, and the principals were so supportive and thankful for whatever I could bring to the table. A poorly timed vacation rental prevented me from working on the build-out during the week leading up to Back to Nature, and when I ever returned and threw the entrance curtain aside, I was dumbfounded: the entire courtyard of Monohasset Mills (and some of the Steel Yard) had been transformed into a scenic, urban play-land of trees and flowering plants, an underwater walkway, a concert stage, a happening on a much grander scale than I could've ever imagined. I didn't leave until 3:30AM, taking pictures, meeting people, watching the games, climbing the Flower Tower, eating, drinking, and feeling a part of something crucial on the west side of Providence.

It's a new year this year, 2011, and after a sobering yet thrilling and exuberant January launch meeting where we learned that a number of principals had to bow out or take reduced roles, I have truly enjoyed investing blood, sweat, tears, and even some money to Wooly Fair: To The Moon! The Fair-Raiser, by all accounts including mine, was spectacular this year, and I feel more a part of Wooly Fair than ever. At times, I have felt the very same excitement (and the pre-performance jitters) in the build-up to Wooly Fair as I did with our AS220 happenings many moons ago. I've met a new bunch of talented friends---Anna Shapiro, our flight leader this year; Lily Benedict, commander of daytime activities; Julia Gold, communications specialist; John Speck, colonel of the build-out; Sandra Kenney, graphics lieutenant; and J.D. Fontanella, General Chaos and Entertainment Director---and I've helped the build-out to the best of my abilities. I look forward to this month leading up to the Fair, and I'm utterly impressed with the talent, energy, drive, and ambitiousness exhibited by everyone working toward a one-day goal: Wooly Fair 2011: To the Moon! It promises to be another crucial evening, and I'm proud to be a small part of it.