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THE COMEDY STORY 113 9- Gymnasium- Instructor on- Jones enters- speaks to Instruc- tor- explains- indicates about Smith's height- passes money- illustrates a knockout- hits Instructor- Instructor shows he understands- knocks Jones down- "That it?"- "Yes!"- Instructor pretends to apologize- Jones says it's all right- exits- Instructor laughs. Leader- Jones persuades Smith to assert himself. 10- Street- Jones and Smith meet- Smith has black eye- Jones pretends sympathy- secretly laughs- Smith registers that he got it splitting kindlings- Jones refuses to believe- argues- leads Smith off. 11- Gymnasium as in No. 9- Instructor on- Jones leads Smith in- Smith timid- Jones jollies him- winks at Instructor- makes Smith put on gloves- Smith boxes with Instructor- very much afraid- Instructor takes first chance to lie down and take the count- Jones congratulates Smith- Smith swaggers- playfully leads at Jones- knocks him out- Instructor rises- helps Jones up- Jones sore- wants to hit Smith- Instructor prevents him- takes gloves from Smith- they exit- Smith trying to walk like a tough. Now we have replaced a mere conversation with action that amuses. There are two strong laughs in nine and eleven where the knockouts come and a lot of smaller ones that are not actually written in but which will suggest themselves to the di- rector. We have written in the 'big laughs because these are im- portant, but we have let alone the minor matters because the run of action will suggest these to the competent director and the incompetent will see nothing at best. It is well to try for one big laugh in each scene. Here there are the knockouts in the gymnasium scenes and the black eye in the street scene. It may not be possible to bring laughs into the first two or three scenes of a comedy, because here we have to get the story started and there may be one or two explanations to be made that are more important for the mq^nent than comedy actions, but as soon as the proposition is advanced there should be at least one laugh in every scene in a farce. In polite comedy, in which the humor of idea exceeds the humor of action, there is less demand for comedy action since there is a stronger story to carry the interest along, but even in polite comedy it is pos- sible to keep the laughs going and this should be done. And it will be well to note that while the minor laughs do not need to be written in, the big laughs must be clearly indicated. It is not sufficient to write that "John says good-bye in a funny manner." Tell what it is that makes the farewell humorous. Say