Should amateurs run weekly comedy shows? Ah, it’s the age-old debate in comedy. On the one hand, sure, why not? If they can find a bar or other venue willing to give them a stage, more power to them. They will get the stage time needed to hone their craft, while giving other comics a workout space. Win-win.

On the other hand, audiences may not understand they’re watching mostly raw amateurs, so they come away from the evening unimpressed with the state of the local scene and maybe never return to any other live comedy show in town. Some feel these shows can be a disservice to comedy.

There’s truth on both sides of the divide. It all depends on what you’re looking for.

Dan Quinn, a standup veteran of 21 years, unsurprisingly takes the latter position.

“There are a lot of rooms around town with lots of amateurs on the show,” he says, speaking to the Straight at a Granville Street coffee shop, where he sits for about two hours every day, booking various tours and shows he runs. “You never really know what you’re getting. It could be one or two good comics and then five terrible. I’d rather see a pro doing new material than an amateur doing their best stuff a lot of times.”

At the city’s two clubs—the Comedy MIX and Yuk Yuk’s—you can expect professional comedians, except on their amateur nights, which are billed explicitly as such and audiences go to for the crash-and-burn aspect as much as for the genuine laughs. The vets may not be to everyone’s liking, of course, but they generally know what they’re doing. No pity laughs are required. That’s what Quinn likes. To this end, he’s added another room to the scene. Every Tuesday at 9 p.m., he hosts the All-Pro Comedy Show at the Biltmore Cabaret.

His position isn’t cut-and-dried, though. Not all amateur shows suck, he’ll grant you. “I don’t want it to be this-versus-that. Sometimes they’re good too. Obviously, there are some amateurs that can kill it and a pro that could just sink it, but generally, pros have all those other elements besides the joke, too. They can still be great on-stage to watch.”

Not only are the acts topnotch, so is the room.

“It’s an awesome performance venue,” he says. “I love the low ceilings, I love the big stage. It has amazing sound and lighting. And we set it up where everybody’s facing the stage. I believe the audience should be facing the performers. Everybody that comes is there for the show. It’s not about your buddies. All the focus is on the stage. For me, the venue has to work. People have to be able to see and hear you. Guys have done shows standing next to buffet tables. Who watching that thinks it’s a professional thing they should go out to? You have to respect the audience.”

Quinn started the show in April. Comedians such as Graham Clark, Brent Butt, John Beuhler, Ivan Decker, Darryl Lenox, Kathleen McGee, Kevin Banner, Kevin Foxx, Kyle Bottom, and Katie-Ellen Humphries have played to small but appreciative crowds. “Attendance hasn’t been great yet, but the people that have come are awesome,” he says. “It’s one of the funnest shows to perform on. Everybody’s having a blast. They’re listening to everything.”

He considers the first couple months a “soft launch”. With no show on June 30, Quinn’s coming back big with a relaunch on July 7. Comedy’s always a tough sell on warm summer nights, but he’s hoping a Groupon push for that night will introduce more people to the regular event. At press time, he’s lined up Charlie Demers, Dino Archie, Darcy Michael, Damonde Tschritter, and Matt Bilinski (formerly Matt Billon), with a couple more to be added.

If truth in advertising were required, the show would be named the Mostly Pro Comedy Show. He will throw a bone to the top up-and-comers, too. Quinn estimates there are about 20 solid professional comedians in the city and probably another 30 that are working their way there.

“The pro label is a quality label, more than a literal thing,” he says. “I want to give opportunities to younger comics to be on the show with all these talented people and see where they stack up. They get an idea of how hard they have to work. And also they maybe get some confidence if they do really good on that show.”

Quinn has lots of experience booking rooms. He’s the brains behind the hugely successful Snowed In Comedy Tour and also lines up the guests at Hecklers in Victoria. “I don’t like the ‘no’ part you have to do when you’re a booker. That’s my least favourite part. I like being a comedian. Now I’m on the other side and you’ve got to try and be objective. Rarely is someone going to say, ‘You’re right. You’re a good human being and I need to work harder.’ Their thing is ‘You’re stupid and you don’t know anything about comedy and I’m a genius and I’ll show you.’ ”

He figures the booking side of the job pays more of his rent now than performing, to the tune of 60-40. “I’d like to continue to do both,” he says. “That’s also why I wanted this Biltmore show, so I could stay in town, work on these other things, but then not lose the comedy side. I can go every week and write new material. It’s forcing me to do that. Because I prefer being a comedian, but I like the bill-paying of booking.”

The All-Pro Comedy Show is at the Biltmore Cabaret every Tuesday night, starting again July 7.