Students and activists gathered in Providence’s Prospect Terrace on Wednesday for an unusual form of protest. There were no bullhorns, nor permanent-marker placards. Instead, aided by a keyboardist and bassist hooked up to an amp, a group of students launched into a 45-minute production of “RIPTA: The Musical.”
The original satire follows a ragtag group of community members – a bus driver, a student, and a disillusioned state employee – as they look to save their city’s buses from the villainous “Governor McCar.”
The show was written and performed by Brown University students, many of whom are part of the school’s chapter of the environmental group Sunrise, in response to sweeping cuts at the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).
“RIPTA is pretty important to college students,” said Eran Sanderatne, a first-year student who co-wrote and acted in the show. “Most of us don’t have a car.”
Last year, RIPTA saw approximately $4.4 million in budget cuts, according to the agency. The change sparked a 15% reduction in bus service across the state, according to the advocacy group Providence Streets Coalition. RIPTA reduced service on 45 out of 63 bus lines.
In response to protests over the cuts, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has held firm. McKee argued that the cuts are necessary to ensure the financial stability of RIPTA, and that the changes aim to “right-size” bus service by decreasing service on under-utilized routes.
RIPTA: The Musical’s original songs include “Road Island,” in which “Governor McCar,” played by Michael Harris, lays out his plan to build a superhighway.
Next, there’s a ballad called “Regulars,” sung by Katie, the bus driver, played by Maia Riggs. The song is a tribute to her frequent riders. The lyrics read: Some are kind and some are rude / but you don’t get the chance to choose. / Here’s to the regulars. / Take them in and take them far / because you can’t find family in a car.
First-year Eliot Waldvogel sings the sentimental tune “A Bus Ride Away,” about taking the bus to see his lover. Waldvogel’s character is an idealistic young activist named Rowan, who frequently blames capitalism for transit problems, but struggles to define the term when asked by his friends.
Eran Sanderatne sings “The Closet,” a comedic ditty about a state employee named Alex who takes the bus to the chagrin of his car-loving colleagues. After arriving late at work, Alex is locked in a closet by his coworkers. Giving the audience a despairing look, Alex begins the song, “I guess I’m stuck in the closet again.”
Sanderatane was inspired to create the show after seeing advertisements for “T: An MBTA Musical.” They joined forces with students Guthrie Clark, Raya Gupta, Theo Pfeiffer, and Dexter Vincent to write the script and original songs. Over the course of the past two months, the group wrote the book, cast the play, rehearsed, and put together the musical.
“We’re hoping that this musical will bring light to the issue,” said Dexter Vincent, a Brown student and graduate of Providence’s Classical High School. In addition to co-writing the show, Vincent voices the musical’s bus announcements.
“We want people who are affecting decisions in the State House to know…we care about RIPTA enough to make a musical about it,” Vincent said.
The group plans another free show in Burnside Park – next to RIPTA’s Kennedy Plaza bus terminal – on Sunday, May 3 at 3pm.
