A non-programmer built an app with Codex. More interesting than the process is the implication: we are entering an age of personal software, when any of us can use the real power of computers without needing to be an engineer.
Background
I’ve spent 40 years in tech (in roles including support, community, and product marketing), but I’ve never been a coder. I’ve worked closely with software engineers doing user experience testing and writing documentation, and I’ve done various kinds of tech marketing. I’ve designed simple web apps and done other coding-adjacent tasks like context-sensitive help, and I’ve dabbled a little in HTML and CSS — but that was the sum total of my coding experience.
A growing record of the theatre productions I have seen, pieced together from memories, programmes and tickets. Some dates are uncertain and may refer to the programme or production run.
1969
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown — Possibly during our home leave around 1969. Did I actually see this, maybe with my mother in San Francisco? What were we doing in San Francisco?
1970s
The Wiz — on Broadway with the original cast (Andre deShields, Stephanie Williams et al)
1981
The Pirates of Penzance — During the summer between graduating from Woodstock School and starting at UC Santa Cruz, I toured the US seeing friends and relatives. While in New York I could afford ONE show, and I chose this one. I got an instant crush on Kevin Kline (who wouldn’t?). The other show suggested by my friend Julia Priest was Amadeus. Years later I realized that that production had starred Ian McKellen and Tim Curry, which would have made the choice even more difficult.
1984
Little Shop of Horrors — Comedy Theatre, London.
On Your Toes — London.
Dracula — October — Paramount Theatre, Austin; starring Martin Landau.
1985
Cats — Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway, in August just before going to India.
1987
Les Misérables — January — Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, DC; programme cast includes Colm Wilkinson and Terrence Mann.
Chicago — Summer — Georgetown University Summer Theatre, Washington, DC.
The Piano Lesson — November–December — Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven; directed by Lloyd Richards, with Samuel L. Jackson, Carl Gordon and Starletta DuPois.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ — National Theatre, Washington, DC; programme cast includes Nell Carter, André De Shields, Armelia McQueen, Ken Page and Charlaine Woodard.
Guys and Dolls — Georgetown University Theatre, Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society, Washington, DC.
I’m Not Rappaport — National Theatre, Washington, DC; with Judd Hirsch and Cleavon Little.
1988
Enrico IV — January–February — Arena Stage, Kreeger Theater, Washington, DC; by Luigi Pirandello, with Stanley Anderson.
Les Misérables — July — Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, DC. Probably with my dad.
Six Characters in Search of an Author — September–November — Arena Stage, Kreeger Theater, Washington, DC; by Luigi Pirandello.
Anything Goes — Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lincoln Center, Broadway; the revival with Patti LuPone and Howard McGillin.
The Freedom of the City — The Elden Street Players, Sunset Business Park, Herndon, Virginia; directed by David Fallen
1989
Little Shop of Horrors — February–March — The Calhoun Dramat, Calhoun Dining Hall, Yale, New Haven.
Into the Woods — Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway. The original cast with Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien.
Moon Over Miami — Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven; cast includes Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub and Julie Hagerty. (Can you believe that cast?!?)
1990
Gypsy — March — St. James Theatre, Broadway; with Tyne Daly, Jonathan Hadary and Crista Moore.
1992
Cats — Little Rock, Arkansas — Rossella’s first show, at age three. She was scared during the dark part at the beginning with the cats crawling around on the balconies.
1995
Crazy for You — April — Fox Theatre, St. Louis; programme cast includes Kirby Ward, Beverly Ward and Ann B. Davis.
Indian Ink — Aldwych Theatre, London; with Art Malik, Felicity Kendal and Margaret Tyzack.
2001
Private Lives— Albery Theatre, London; with Alan Rickman, Lindsay Duncan, Emma Fielding and Adam Godley.
2007
Spamalot — January 6 — Palace Theatre, London, on the very last night Tim Curry performed in it. Dad had bought us the tickets but was not well enough to come. Ross, Ruth and other friends/family came as well.
Avenue Q — London.
2009
Blithe Spirit — March — Shubert Theatre, Broadway; programme cast includes Rupert Everett, Christine Ebersole, Jayne Atkinson and Angela Lansbury.
Wicked — May — Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco; programme cast includes Kendra Kassebaum, Teal Wicks, Patty Duke and David Garrison.
South Pacific — October — Golden Gate Theatre, San Francisco; with Carmen Cusack and Rod Gilfry.
2013
Pippin — October — Music Box Theatre, Broadway; programme cast includes Patina Miller, Matthew James Thomas, Terrence Mann, Charlotte d’Amboise, Rachel Bay Jones and Tovah Feldshuh.
2014
Once — June–July programme — Curran Theatre, San Francisco; Alex Nee played Guy and Zander Meisner played Andrej at this performance.
2015
Indian Ink — January–February programme — American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco; directed by Carey Perloff, with Brenda Meaney, Roberta Maxwell and Firdous Bamji.
Fun Home — October — Circle in the Square, Broadway; programme cast includes Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn, Beth Malone, Emily Skeggs and Gabriella Pizzolo.
2016
The Book of Mormon — June 3 — Eugene O’Neill Theatre, Broadway; with Nic Rouleau, Christopher John O’Neill and Nikki Renée Daniels. Month to confirm: the files are labelled May.
2017
Hamilton — March–April programme — Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco; Michael Luwoye played Hamilton, with Solea Pfeiffer and Joshua Henry.
Hamilton — November — Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway; Jevon McFerrin played Hamilton, with Lexi Lawson and Daniel Breaker.
2019
Hamilton — April 25 — Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco; Vincent J. Hooper played Hamilton, with Julia K. Harriman and Donald Webber Jr.
Oklahoma! — May — Circle in the Square, Broadway; directed by Daniel Fish. Demetia Hopkins-Greene was the Lead Dancer at this performance.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — December — Parts One and Two, Curran Theater, San Francisco.
2021
Come From Away — October 23 — Capitol Theatre, Sydney.
2022
Company — May 14 — Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway; with Katrina Lenk and Patti LuPone.
A Strange Loop — May — Lyceum Theatre, Broadway; Kyle Ramar Freeman played Usher at this performance.
SIX — August 28 — Theatre Royal Sydney.
2023
Les Misérables — July — Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco; programme cast includes Nick Cartell and Preston Truman Boyd.
Wicked — December 3 — Sydney Lyric Theatre.
Amadeus with Martin Sheen as Salieri, at the Sydney Opera House.
2024
Hamilton — September 29 — Sydney Lyric Theatre.
Cats — December 1 — Rockdale Musical Society, Rockdale Town Hall.
2025
Dark Noon — January 23 — Sydney Town Hall, Sydney Festival.
Les Misérables: The Arena Spectacular — May 10 — ICC Sydney Theatre; concert staging.
The Book of Mormon — December 27 — Capitol Theatre, Sydney.
2026
Mama Does Derby — January 21 — Sydney Town Hall, Sydney Festival.
The Normal Heart — February 14 — Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House; by Larry Kramer, directed by Dean Bryant.
Dates to confirm
Cabaret — Studio 54, Broadway; the revival with Molly Ringwald and Raúl Esparza.
Cats — Another Winter Garden Theatre programme lists Loni Ackerman as Grizabella. The scans are labelled 1984, but an advertisement on one of these pages is dated 1989; the year and grouping need checking.
Chicago — London — wih Chita Rivera.
Evita — touring company at the University of Texas.
Guys and Dolls — Boston University Theatre; directed by Sidney Friedman. November programme; year not printed.
Hairspray — Broadway, with Ross.
His Dark Materials — Two nights in London, with Dad. The most stunning theatrical performance I’ve ever seen.
La Cage aux Folles — Palace Theatre, Broadway, with Peter Marshall and Keene Curtis.
Les Misérables — Possibly also London — a memory still to confirm.
November 13th will always be a happy anniversary for me: I became an Australian citizen.
My path to citizenship was easier than many, because I married into it. Brendan is Australian and we always knew we would eventually move here. We had originally planned to leave the US in late 2021, but the pandemic made us anticipate that by a year, so I arrived in Australia as a Permanent Resident in December, 2020. I then had to wait four years (everyone does) to apply for citizenship. With the help of my excellent immigration attorney Valerie da Gama Pereira, I submitted the application in January, 2025, knowing it would take at least six months to process. On July 29th I received by email my Approval of Citizenship by Conferral.
During one of my winter vacations from Woodstock, when my dad and stepmother were living in Bangkok, my dad and I did a scuba diving course. Dad had started diving during our year in Hawaii (1966), and I’d been hearing his stories about it for as long as I could remember. Getting certified together sounded like a fun father-daughter activity, and it was.
Our instructor was “Dusty” Rhodes, who had served with distinction in the US Navy during the Vietnam war, and had then settled in Thailand. I did not realize until years later that the preparation he gave us went far beyond typical scuba instruction.
In my many moves around the world, I have brought with me a few items that remind me of specific times, places, people, and adventures in my life. This painting is one such.
While we lived in Thailand, my parents acquired some interesting pieces of original and local art, which moved with us and formed a familiar backdrop to our homes from Bangkok to Pittsburgh to Connecticut. We did not take much when we moved to Bangladesh in 1976, most of it went into storage. Sometime while I was attending the University of Texas at Austin, our household goods were moved from storage in Connecticut to my aunt’s property in Texas, where our old dishware may still be languishing in a disused falling-down barn full of rattlesnakes. I later rescued a few items, including the above which had been painted by our family friend Irma, an artist who owned a Scandinavian design shop in Bangkok.
