EXCLUSIVE: It\u2019s that time in the comedy calendar when\u00a0Saturday Night Live\u00a0begins taking major focus, with casting for the next season shaping up.<\/p>\n
Up to this point, all that\u2019s been announced for Season 52 is\u00a0Chloe Fineman\u2018s exit after seven seasons as she shifts focus toward acting and other opportunities. But Tuesday, the\u00a0SNL\u00a0team wrapped their fifth and final showcase, with an eye out for talent for the upcoming fall season.<\/p>\n
As is customary, staffers hit three big markets: Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Flying under the radar as the \u201cCharacters Showcase,\u201d the first took place in L.A. on August 6. Chicago showcases took place at Annoyance Theatre and The iO Theater\u00a0on the 10th and 11th, respectively. Last but not least, there were the NY showcases, which we\u2019re told took place at UCB on the 17th and 18th.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So who were the standouts? Names that emerged from L.A. included\u00a0Trent Mason,\u00a0Kaba Hues,\u00a0Chase Rosenberg and\u00a0April Rock.<\/p>\n
Peyton Ruddy, a 2026 JFL New Face, \u201cdominated\u201d in Chicago, per our sources. Meanwhile, everyone in New York was said to be \u201craving\u201d about\u00a0Joey Welsh. Other New York talents highlighted included\u00a0Allisha Edwards,\u00a0Amber Singletary and\u00a0Saidah Belo-Osagie, to name a few.<\/p>\n
RELATED: The Future Of Funny: 20 Stand-Ups To Keep An Eye On In 2026<\/p>\n
As far as big-picture thoughts behind the scenes, the sense is that there\u2019s been a desire to to address the cast\u2019s lack of Black female representation since Ego Nwodim\u2019s departure in 2025 after seven seasons.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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Other eye-catching names on the lists we reviewed included\u00a0Ismael Loutfi, who made our list of\u00a0Stand-Ups to Keep an Eye on in 2026, as well as\u00a0Ethan Edenburg,\u00a0Eric Jackowitz, and\u00a0Tom McGovern\u00a0\u2014 the three members of well known comedy rock band\u00a0Wolves of Glendale.<\/p>\n
Next up in the\u00a0casting process: screen tests. We\u2019re told that as of the last hour, calls to talent advancing to the next stage have begun going out.<\/p>\n
Sources cautioned that our lists should be taken with a grain of salt: There\u2019s always a chance of omissions, and even a comedian who didn\u2019t showcase may be asked to test.<\/p>\n
Reps for SNL didn\u2019t respond to requests for comment. We\u2019ll chronicle further developments as they happen.<\/p>\n
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