free kids

by Xavier Clark

We meet Quentin Aziz at age 13. He's probably the smartest kid at his middle school, he hates sports and all he wants to do is make dances with his best friends, Asel and Dilara on their summer break before eighth grade. When two American kids that his grandmother babysits join them on the southern coast of Turkey, all of their friendships get tested. Will these kids make it to the fall as friends? A prequel to...

We meet Quentin Aziz at age 13. He's probably the smartest kid at his middle school, he hates sports and all he wants to do is make dances with his best friends, Asel and Dilara on their summer break before eighth grade. When two American kids that his grandmother babysits join them on the southern coast of Turkey, all of their friendships get tested. Will these kids make it to the fall as friends? A prequel to the play "backstroke boys", "free kids" is a meditation on the loss of childhood, the pressures to subscribe to principles of femininity and masculinity, and the painful journey of moving forward from what you once knew as "home".

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free kids

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  • Nick Malakhow: free kids by Xavier Clark
    “

    A sweet, gentle, relatable coming of age story that treats all of its characters (adult and teen) with great respect and tenderness while not ignoring the ways their needs and wants make them mistreat each other. I love the humor throughout and how much is told through subtle looks and body language (particularly between Quentin Aziz and Tommy). The elements of dance and the specters that haunt Quentin Aziz add a nice theatricality to everything. I'd love to see this fully realized onstage!

    A sweet, gentle, relatable coming of age story that treats all of its characters (adult and teen) with great respect and tenderness while not ignoring the ways their needs and wants make them mistreat each other. I love the humor throughout and how much is told through subtle looks and body language (particularly between Quentin Aziz and Tommy). The elements of dance and the specters that haunt Quentin Aziz add a nice theatricality to everything. I'd love to see this fully realized onstage!

    ”
QUENTIN AZIZ- 13, half west african half turkish, a kid, he/him
ANNEANNE- early-mid 50’s, turkish, a grandmother and a nanny, she/her
AYSE- early 30's, turkish, a mother and a nurse, she/her
DILARA- 13, turkish, a kid, she/her
ASEL-13, turkish, a kid, she/her
AMANDA- 13, white american, a kid, she/they
TOMMY- 15, white american, a boy, he/him

Development History

  • Residency, Djerassi Artist Residency Program, 2025

Awards