Character Bench
Character Bench is a short-form game in which performers sit on a bench in a public place, each entering with a distinct character who interacts with whoever is already seated. Characters cycle on and off the bench, creating a parade of brief encounters. The game rewards strong character initiations and the ability to build a relationship quickly.
Structure
Setup
A bench or row of chairs is placed center stage. The bench represents a public place: a park bench, a bus stop, a waiting room, a jury box - anywhere that strangers might sit next to each other.
The Mechanic
One performer sits on the bench with a defined character - specific physical presence, emotional state, and reason for being there. A second performer enters and sits next to them, their own character equally defined. The two interact briefly.
When the host or facilitator calls "switch," one performer exits and a new one enters with a fresh character. The remaining performer must adjust their behavior to the new companion.
The Parade
The game becomes a parade of brief character encounters. The bench is the constant; the characters who occupy it cycle through. The performer who stays on the bench longest develops a richer, more textured character through accumulated interactions.
Character Commitment
Strong bench characters are defined before sitting - the performer knows who they are and why they're there. The encounter may change them, but the initial character must be clear enough to meet another character with genuine presence.
How to Teach It
How to Explain It
"The bench is a public place. One person sits. Another joins. Brief encounter - let the characters meet. Then one goes and someone new comes. The bench stays. The characters change."
Why It Matters
Character Bench trains strong character initiation - the ability to create a distinct, specific character before any dialogue has been spoken, simply through physical choice and intention. Performers who can do this consistently have developed one of improv's most foundational skills. The game also trains the adaptive responsiveness that characterizes good ensemble work: each new arrival changes the bench's dynamic, requiring the remaining performer to recalibrate.
Common Coaching Notes
- Character before contact. The entering performer should fully inhabit their character during the walk to the bench, not while sitting down. The first moment of sitting should already be character-specific.
- Brief encounters work better than long scenes. Bench encounters are haiku, not sonnets. Two or three exchanges, a moment of genuine contact, a departure.
- The remaining performer is the through-line. Their arc across multiple encounters is the game's narrative spine. Watch what happens to that character over time.
How to Perform It
Audience Intro
"Our performers are going to have brief encounters on this bench. Watch the characters that arrive. Watch what happens when two of them share the space. What kind of public bench is this?" Get a setting suggestion.
The host should position the bench visibly in the playing area and briefly note the setting to the performers before beginning.
Cast Size
Full ensemble (4-8 performers). Each rotates through at least one bench entry. One performer can be designated the permanent anchor who stays on the bench throughout.
Staging
The bench should be visible from all audience angles. Characters approach from the wings or from the back of the playing area. The path to the bench is part of the performance.
Wrap Logic
The host wraps after a satisfying sequence of encounters - typically after each performer has had at least one bench moment. A final entrance that finds the bench empty and the last character sitting alone can provide a poignant close.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Pirate Robot Ninja
An Improv Fable
Billy Merritt; Will Hines
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Acting Through Improv
Improv Through Theatresports
Lynda Belt; Rebecca Stockley
Theater Games for Rehearsal
Viola Spolin
The Playbook
Improv Games for Performers
William Hall
The Young Actor's Book of Improvisation
Dramatic Situations
Sandra Caruso; Susan Kosoff
Related Games
Park Bench
Park Bench is a short-form character game in which one performer sits on a bench while a series of characters enter one at a time, each with a distinct personality or objective. The seated player interacts briefly with each visitor before finding a reason to leave; the visitor then takes the seat and becomes the new resident, ready to react to the next arrival. The game rewards strong character entrances, rapid relationship establishment, and the ability to generate an exit.
Henry
Henry is a short-form game in which a character with a fixed name and identity appears across multiple unrelated scenes, played by the same performer throughout. Other performers create new scenes with different premises, and the Henry character enters each scene, bringing the same personality, quirks, and behavioral patterns into wildly different contexts. The running character provides continuity across otherwise disconnected scenes. The game rewards a strong, memorable character who can fit into any scenario while remaining recognizably the same person.
Understudy
Understudy is a scene game in which performers replace one another mid-scene and must instantly continue as the character just vacated, adopting their voice, physicality, and emotional state. The replacing performer must observe closely while waiting and commit to a specific replication rather than a generic impression. The game trains character observation, physical specificity, and the ability to enter mid-scene without disrupting its reality.
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a scene game in which one performer plays a cab driver who picks up a series of passengers, each with a distinct character, problem, or energy. The confined setting of the cab creates an intimate stage that tests the driver's ability to respond to radically different personalities in sequence. A rotating variant has each new passenger take over the driver role, turning the game into a continuous character-handoff chain.
What Happens Next
What Happens Next is a game in which performers build an improvised story or scene through a series of offers, with a coach or host prompting each new development by asking "What happens next?" Each offer is accepted, echoed, and built upon before the next prompt arrives. The game trains offer acceptance, narrative momentum, and the collective instinct to advance rather than stall a story.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Character Bench. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/character-bench
The Improv Archive. "Character Bench." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/character-bench.
The Improv Archive. "Character Bench." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/character-bench. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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