Amateur masquerading as professional

There has been a bit of discussion in the Reviews forum on this topic, which related to a particular production at the Regal. I think this might be a better place for such a discussion. I'm an irregular contributor here, but have a read fairly often. I've worked as both a paid and unpaid actor over the years, and in my opinion, that's the major difference(paid or not). People as a whole in theatre -am or pro - tend to put in the hard yards to get a show on, and make that show the best that they can do. Whether they are paid or not is irrelevant. The slackers just don't last in this business - there's nowhere to hide.. I've seen professional shows which I've not enjoyed, and community theatre shows I've loved (as well as some duds). Why do some feel the need to have amateur shows ensure they are branded as such, just because they are put on at a pro venue such as the Regal or th Maj. The public isn't stupid. I think they know what they're going to see before they part with their hard-earned. Should all community theatre groups stay in their little halls and theatres, and keep doing the same thing, year in, year out, or should we encourage them to stretch their boundaries, push the envelope, or maybe even learn something from their foray into a pro venue. I like to see people move outside their comfort zones - they might find they have something they didn't know was there.... In the end the audience will decide. Most comminity groups couldn't afford to put on a poor show at such a venue, as it would cripple them financially.