At two American comedy clubs, hundreds of comics compete for a job taking out the trash. The door guy position at most comedy clubs is not that different from a traditional service industry job. But at The Comedy Store (The Store) in Los Angeles and The Comedy Mothership in Austin, it’s a talent development pipeline that’s seen the likes of Sam Kinison, Jay Leno, Jim Carey—and in Austin newer breakouts like Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast member Kam Patterson, Cristina Mariana, and recent SNL auditioner Peyton Ruddy. Only about 40 door guy positions exist between the two clubs: The Store lists 27 current door guys. The Mothership has about 16.

The Task
Shane Bianchi, a door guy at The Store, seats guests and takes out the trash. But it’s a fraction of the job. The main purpose is an apprenticeship. “If you want to get paid for watching comedy, this is a good job because that’s 90 percent of it,” says Bianchi. Employees can test material at the two weekly open mics, and they get at least one spot a week on a show, usually a 5-minute opening spot, but sometimes a ten-minute set in the Belly Room. Ryan Mirvis, a current Store bartender and former door guy, says comedians working at the Store can’t even work other service positions because management wants them in the rooms learning.