Ten Minutes on a Bench by Kenneth Jones

Ah, look at all the lonely people! Some of them — as many as 22 characters, in 11 unconnected scenes — are hoping to find romance on the latest dating app, “Ten Minutes on a Bench,” which invites hopeful singles to a brief encounter on a park bench. Their time together may be short, but there is no limit to the variety of quirky, heartbreaking, funny and sophisticated people looking for love. Fall head over...
Ah, look at all the lonely people! Some of them — as many as 22 characters, in 11 unconnected scenes — are hoping to find romance on the latest dating app, “Ten Minutes on a Bench,” which invites hopeful singles to a brief encounter on a park bench. Their time together may be short, but there is no limit to the variety of quirky, heartbreaking, funny and sophisticated people looking for love. Fall head over heels for a refreshing new comedy about conversation, compatibility and connection. Sometimes, it only takes ten minutes to find your match.

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Perfect fit for a company looking for humane comedies in the tradition of Neil Simon and "Almost Maine."

Suitable for a large cast (up to 22), or adaptable for a quick-change cast as small as 2M/2W. The cast should represent a wide range of ages, body types, abilities, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities and genders.

Set requirement: Blank stage with a park bench.

Available for streaming rights.

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“Ten Minutes on a Bench” is a collection of 11 discrete “speed-dating” scenes featuring two characters per scene who have signed onto the title dating app, some of the parameters and rules of which are teased out in the Prologue.

The only set piece on the blank stage is a park bench. There might be a lamppost or a trash can or a tree, or not. Less is more.

Written during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ten Minutes on a Bench was created as an experience for a large cast (as many as 22, or a smaller protean troupe, with doubling/tripling), which reminds us that there is a vast community of people seeking to make connection in a lonely world.

This play can be also performed with a company of four — two men and two women who play all of the roles, from young people to old people, with clear indication that this ride will be a highly theatrical portrayal of humanity, with quick-change opportunities, perhaps a vista.

As currently written, the ages of the characters range from people in their twenties to people in their seventies. The cast should represent a wide range of ages, body types, abilities, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities and gender identities. The play is populated by male- and female-identifying characters. In a few scenes, non-gender-specific names like “Chris,” “Micki” or “Pat” are used. I encourage the employment of non-binary, transgender and multicultural artists. Specific ages are suggested in the Character Breakdown, but there is flexibility here, too — I’m all for interpretation.

As possible palate cleansers between a few of the scenes, you might occasionally want to have actors who are not scene partners walk on and meet a prospective partner for the first time. They might improvise a first-impression response — “Uh, no.” “Sorry.” “Professor?” “Not in a million years.” “Aunt Suzy?” “Lovin’ what I see.” “Ick.” “Sorry, I have norovirus.” — and have them walk/slink/dash away from the date. These are “blackout” bits. They can be wordless, too.

Sound design/music will help this play. In fact, I urge a live musician to play between/around all scenes to sweeten this. Jazz guitar, anyone?

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As this is a work in development, I do foresee the possibility of adding scenes or swapping out existing scenes with new ones.
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Ten Minutes on a Bench

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SCENE/CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

PROLOGUE
FEMALE VOICEOVER and ENTIRE COMPANY
The voiceover should sound like a commercial actor pitching a product.
*SCENE 1 – DOG PERSON
TOM and SUE (20s-40s), talking about their pets
Tom — Salty, peevish, critical, insecure, unskilled at communication but tries. Lonely. His own worst enemy. Not self-aware. A quirky, earnest oddball you don’t want a second date with.Sue — A patient listener, slow to boil, curious but knows when to step away without tearing someone down. Not vivacious — sincere. A homebody, perhaps, who you might want a second date with.
*SCENE 2 – HOTHOUSE FLOWERS
BETH and LARRY (40s), talking about gems, flowers and blossoming
They are both kind, somewhat wounded people, with very little experience in relationships.
*SCENE 3 – THE STORY OF MY WIFE
SALLY and BECCA (30s-50s), talking about how they met their exes
Both of them are open books eager to share their life stories. Candid. Charming. They complement each other, have chemistry. Lots in common. Too much maybe.
*SCENE 4 – SUNBLOCK IN OCTOBER
DAVE and HELEN (40s-50s), talking about skincare and widowhood
Dave — Critical, insecure, unskilled at communication but pretends otherwise. Lonely. A widower. Grieving. Hyper-verbal to hide pain. Has issues with women, except for perhaps with this late wife. Unskilled at dating. His own worst enemy. Has had no therapy.
Helen — A patient listener, slow to boil, knows when to step away and will give a piece of her mind before doing it. Smart, together, has had some therapy.
*SCENE 5 – THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE
CHRIS and JEFF (30s), talking about the idea of soulmates
Jeff — Smart, educated, open, inquisitive, a cynic.
Chris — Smart, educated, open, a dreamer.
*SCENE 6 – RESPECTING THE RULES
ALAN and ANDREA (30s-40s), talking about their love of craft
Both are smart, educated, curious, candid, funny, a match in so many ways.
*SCENE 7 – MY FOLKS SMOKED
TIM and LARA (30s-50s), talking about smoking
Lara — Grim, salty, angry, grieving but putting herself out there even though she’s not ready.
Tim — Patient, game, curious but shows the good character to not shut down someone in pain.
*SCENE 8 – HIGH AND DRY
MICKI and PAT (30s-40s), talking about drinking
Micki — Loquacious, on guard, defensive, maybe a little buzzed, maybe a little judgy.
Pat — Moderate, sober, curious but not judgy.
*SCENE 9 – A SENSE OF MY OWN ACCOMPLISHMENT
CLAIRE and MARK (60s/70s and up), talking about their shared histories
Both of them are accomplished, well-read, smart, game, funny, mature, old enough to speak the truth.
*SCENE 10 – INSTANT GRATIFICATION GUY
JOHN and RALPH (20s-30s), talking about living in the moment vs. settling down
John — A gym rat/party boy whose confidence hides loneliness and insecurity. Wants more as he’s getting older but unskilled about how to get it. Immature.
Ralph — Buttoned-up, charming, patient, knows who is. Mature.
*SCENE 11 – SUPERMAN
ANDY and MAGGIE (20s-30s), talking about two kinds of art
Andy — Jeans-and-graphic-t-shirt type. Clark Kent glasses. Casual, cool, sexy without knowing it. Liberal arts major. Comic book nerd. (Preferably with a curl of hair that dangles over his forehead, as indicated at the end of scene.)
Maggie — Slightly pretentious art history/grad school type, dressed crisply and stylishly for work. Put together. Judgy. Tough but ready to melt. You imagine she’s been on a lot of these dates.

Development History