EXCLUSIVE: It’s that time in the comedy calendar when Saturday Night Live begins taking major focus, with casting for the next season shaping up.
Up to this point, all that’s been announced for Season 52 is Chloe Fineman‘s exit after seven seasons as she shifts focus toward acting and other opportunities. But Tuesday, the SNL team wrapped their fifth and final showcase, with an eye out for talent for the upcoming fall season.
As is customary, staffers hit three big markets: Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Flying under the radar as the “Characters Showcase,” the first took place in L.A. on August 6. Chicago showcases took place at Annoyance Theatre and The iO Theateron the 10th and 11th, respectively. Last but not least, there were the NY showcases, which we’re told took place at UCB on the 17th and 18th.
So who were the standouts? Names that emerged from L.A. included Trent Mason, Kaba Hues, Chase Rosenberg and April Rock.
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Peyton Ruddy, a 2026 JFL New Face, “dominated” in Chicago, per our sources. Meanwhile, everyone in New York was said to be “raving” about Joey Welsh. Other New York talents highlighted included Allisha Edwards, Amber Singletary and Saidah Belo-Osagie, to name a few.
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As far as big-picture thoughts behind the scenes, the sense is that there’s been a desire to to address the cast’s lack of Black female representation since Ego Nwodim’s departure in 2025 after seven seasons.
This seems to be reflected by the standouts our sources shared with us: Hues, Rock, Edwards, Singletary, and Belo-Osagie are all female performers of color.
Other eye-catching names on the lists we reviewed included Ismael Loutfi, who made our list of Stand-Ups to Keep an Eye on in 2026, as well as Ethan Edenburg, Eric Jackowitz, and Tom McGovern — the three members of well known comedy rock band Wolves of Glendale.
Next up in the casting process: screen tests. We’re told that as of the last hour, calls to talent advancing to the next stage have begun going out.
Sources cautioned that our lists should be taken with a grain of salt: There’s always a chance of omissions, and even a comedian who didn’t showcase may be asked to test.
Reps for SNL didn’t respond to requests for comment. We’ll chronicle further developments as they happen.
