Two very different exercises both get called Park Bench, here are both of them.
Variations
Park Bench of Truth
Remarkably simple yet powerful exercise.
One improviser is sat on a park bench, pretty much as themselves or a character pretty close to themselves. Another improviser comes and joins them and sits on the bench with them. They have a chat, but are honest about what ever is said and don’t lie. They say whatever they think in the moment. The teacher can help them by asking them to say what they thought in a moment,
This exercises is great for helping people to use their own life experiences on stage, to express themselves, to be obvious and to play scenes at the top of their intelligence.
Park Bench of Change
There are two chairs next to one another on stage. These chairs can change into anything during each scene, but they stay where they are. Two improvisers make a scene around the two chairs; they might be on a park bench, a sofa, a big wheel, in a car, etc. After a short scene, one actor makes an excuse to leave and the scene changes into another one as a new improviser joins. Everyone gets to play in two scenes and the person entering gets to define what the chairs are. The person who left first comes in to do their second scene at the end. This game is about getting used to playing in scenes, agreement and listening to offers.