The Sighting

by Rachael VanWormer

273 AD, Rome. Valentine is imprisoned for illegally performing marriage ceremonies. Emperor Claudius II has outlawed marriage completely - in the hopes of encouraging Roman soldiers to fight to the death because they'd have nothing to come home to. Valentine is given two options: renounce his Christian faith, or die. As he awaits his fate in solitary confinement, Iulia - the jailer's daughter, and his only human...

273 AD, Rome. Valentine is imprisoned for illegally performing marriage ceremonies. Emperor Claudius II has outlawed marriage completely - in the hopes of encouraging Roman soldiers to fight to the death because they'd have nothing to come home to. Valentine is given two options: renounce his Christian faith, or die. As he awaits his fate in solitary confinement, Iulia - the jailer's daughter, and his only human contact - proves both a torment, and a friend. The two form an unlikely friendship built on social and religious debate, passionate disagreement, and a dawning admiration for the conviction and commitment each carries for their own world-view. In an attempt to save one another, each discovers their own path forward.

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The Sighting

Recommended by

  • Laura Lewis-Barr: The Sighting by Rachael VanWormer
    “

    I love this play. The rhythms, the characters, the simplicity and complexity. VanWormer tells a story that is filled with great themes re: freedom, ability/disability, faith, and inclusiveness. I am grateful for the passion and goodness of both characters- Julia and Valentine, who stay with me after reading.

    I love this play. The rhythms, the characters, the simplicity and complexity. VanWormer tells a story that is filled with great themes re: freedom, ability/disability, faith, and inclusiveness. I am grateful for the passion and goodness of both characters- Julia and Valentine, who stay with me after reading.

    ”
  • Lee R. Lawing: The Sighting by Rachael VanWormer
    “

    Valentine imprisonment toward the end of his life and the jailor's daughter that cares for him. tackle such weighty issues that were occurring at the time in Rome which made life scary for anyone who did not believe in the Roman state or what it was doing at the time. Christianity was in its infancy and would soon take take over more of the world that Rome every did by spreading its own type of "live by our rules or die by our sword" but they had the Roman empire to teach them that way. Powerful stuff.

    Valentine imprisonment toward the end of his life and the jailor's daughter that cares for him. tackle such weighty issues that were occurring at the time in Rome which made life scary for anyone who did not believe in the Roman state or what it was doing at the time. Christianity was in its infancy and would soon take take over more of the world that Rome every did by spreading its own type of "live by our rules or die by our sword" but they had the Roman empire to teach them that way. Powerful stuff.

    ”

Character Information

  • Valentine
    A priest, a doctor, a prisoner. Convicted and empathetic.
    20s - 50s (older than Iulia)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Iulia
    The jailer's daughter. Blind since birth. Guarded, capable, and careful.
    Late teens - 30s (younger than Valentine)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Non-binary

Development History

  • Workshop, San Diego Playwrights, generously hosted at Scipps Ranch Theatre, 2023
  • Reading, Pacific Playwrights Conference of San Diego, 2019
  • Reading, Point Loma Nazareth University , 2018