Laban Effort

In rehearsals recently we have been looking and practicing Rudolph Von Laban and his 'Laban Efforts'. The Efforts are a system of describing and applying movement, observing the way in which an actor vocalizes and physicalises their character, thus unlocking the key identity of their character. 'All eight efforts are of equal value and together make up the complete human potential of ways in which we function.' Many theatre practitioners, such as Mike Alfred's, use the Laban technique when discussing a characters internal and external movement. 

The Efforts are made up of six elements according to how the movement is performed. These elements fit into three categories: Weight, Space and Time (speed/tempo). Weight doesn't have anything to do with personal bulkiness, as many ''heavy'' people can move with extreme lightness, it is more about the levels of intensity and gravitational pull when moving. Space concerns how one moves around it and how you relate to it directionally. Here are the elements:

Weight:

• Light- Operating with ease and without effort having no barriers to break through or resistance to overcome. There is a freedom from gravity with all your energy swaying upwards, like a cloud is lifting you up.
• Strong-There is some level of intensity constantly having a barrier to break through or a resistance to overcome, as if one is moving through mud or sand.

Space:

• Direct-A total level of focus and sense of purpose, you know what you want and you impose yourself on the world, initiating what it is you want. You lead with your aim and always know where you are going, in other words you make things happen.
• Flexible-This implies you have no focus or purpose but are completely available and vulnerable, being open to affection. You are moved by impulses, receiving and taking in, absorbing whatever comes your way. You allow things to happen to you. 

Time:

• Sustained-Implies a continuous unbroken movement and energy, flowing from one physical state to the other. Movement tends to be curved and soft, there is nothing abrupt and mobility tends to be slow.
• Broken-A constant renewed amount of angular and abrupt fast energy, the impulses being refreshed second by second. 

The Archetypal Efforts are the three-way pairing of these elements and as I said before, they can be applied to both movement and vocal qualities. The combination of the two can give a character depth and help you understand their physical and emotional sates, as well as their internal one.

Light/Flexible/Sustained=Floating

Light/Flexible/Broken=Flicking

Light/Direct/Sustained=Gliding 

Light/Direct/Broken=Dabbing

Strong/Flexible/Sustained=Wringing 

Strong/Flexible/Broken=Slashing

Strong/Direct/Sustained=Pressing

Strong/Direct/Broken=Thrusting/Punching 

If a character moved around in a Slashing manner, you might think they are angry, tense and harsh, with a thuggish personality. This immediately affects the status of the character and they way others react to them. Making a subtle change of making them move with more of a Thrusting focus, this could instantly uplift their performance and change their characteristics to being more forward and direct with a self confidence. A character can play around with two efforts at once, both internally and externally. For example a character could be Wringing on the inside with perhaps stresses and strains from life but on externally present themselves as Gliding. This shows that they are trying to cover up their troubles, instantly adding another level onto the character. 

We explored all the Efforts through movement which I found really interesting to see how one element can change and alter the overall intensity of the movement. A lot of commitment and self awareness is required when trying out these elements and I noticed when we tried out Dabbing and Thrusting/Punching, not everyone was as committed or as comfortable as we were when we tried Floating and Slashing. I think this was because Floating and Slashing had defiant and direct movements which we often explore in our everyday lives, whereas Dabbing and Thrusting/Punching required a more abstract movement. After we all had tried the Efforts, I felt more comfortable focusing on all of them and discovered that when you layer up different Efforts and apply them physically and emotionally, both external and internal, you have a rounded character with a deep and bold purpose. 

When exploring my character Wendla, I discovered that internally she was Wringing in her vocals and Slashing in her physicality. This contrasted with her external Pressing vocally and her external physicality of Gliding.  Vocally this represents her inquisitive nature and her desperate desire and need for knowledge and to find out new things. She won't stop until she finds out everything that she doesn't understand and Devan and I both agreed that Wendla is quite a stubborn and intelligent character, in other words always wanting to know more. The Wringing symbolizes the oppression she feels from her Mother and she can't understand why she isn't being told about reproduction. Physically this represents her youth and confidence but also how she is quite exposed. Wendla has a lot of self confidence but can snap slightly when things either don't go her way or when she doesn't understand something. After doing Laban I feel as if Wendla is now more rounded and I know how to move around the stage more.