The Efforts

We looked at Laban's efforts and how they can help to add depth, meaning and understanding to every line a character has on stage. If you imply these meanings through your words, you will be able to interpret your lines with a lot more truth and honesty.

We pretended that we were standing in a glass box and we were able to move our body to explore the tiny space we were in. We used our arms, legs, heads, elbows, hands, any part of our body that we could move. Tim called out the different efforts and we practiced them. This was a hard exercise because it was such hard work to do the strong emotions. But, it was very helpful and allowed us to see how important the meaning behind your words is on-stage and how important it is to really work out what you're saying.

The Efforts

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

These efforts supposedly come together to make up the complete human emotions and the messages behind each line we speak. 

Defining the Elements

Light:

Light implies functioning with ease. There is no weight to your movements. Your arms and legs are free and able to move softly and without effort. This was an easy movement as it required little effort.

Strong:

Strong implies that you are functioning with hard, powerful movements. As if you are trying to move through sand or mud. It makes your arms and legs move with effort, as though walking through sand up to your knees. This was particularly tiring and required a lot of effort.

Direct:

Direct implies that you are functioning in a harsh and rather forceful way. You know what you want and you are going to get it. You can look at where your hands and feet are moving to, as you move them, to give a sense of purpose. This move was tiring as it involved a lot of effort and a large physicality.

Flexible:

Flexible implies that you have no focus and are able to move or go anywhere. You are able to bend and form lots of different shapes and in different directions. You bend your hands, feet and face and you allow yourself not to have a focus point, so that you are flexible to move or go anywhere. This movement was quite gentle and easy, you have to move gently for it to be flexible.

Sustained:

Sustained implies that you are moving in one motion, you're not breaking the motion or stopping, you have energy flowing from one physical state to another. This movement was quite hard to keep up, especially if the other two elements are strong and direct. It tends to be slower and takes on a gentle physicality, such as moving through water or gliding.

Broken:

Broken implies that your movements are abrupt. You are jabbing through the air, creating a harsh atmosphere. This movement was tiring, as it was hard work to keep up. It tends to be fast, such a swatting away a fly.

Technically: 

Light and Strong are to do with Weight and the intensity of a movement.

Direct and Flexible are to do with Space and how you move in it.

Sustained and Broken are to do with Time or speed of a movement.

We applied these movements which helped us to learn how the subtext of your actions or the actions behind the lines in a play, can help to move the action along and carry the story.

We applied this to our own lines in the play. I volunteered to share my line, which was,

"Sorry , to interrupt -oops- I'm Shannon, I've been watching the other speeches - thought I'd come down and see for myself."

This line I thought was Light, Direct and Broken, so has a Dabbing feel to it. This helped me to really see deeper into my character and see how she would react and speak to people and what kind of thing she might be thinking as she speaks etc.

We then did this to the rest of our lines in the play and heard other people's examples. In one scene, the only word I have is, "Yeah" so this exercise it a perfect way for me to put some meaning behind the lines and figure out what she is really saying. It was a very helpful exercise, but very tiring at the same time!