‘S.N.L.’ Hires Black Female Cast Member

“Saturday Night Live” concluded its search for a black female cast member on Monday when it hired Sasheer Zamata, a young sketch comedian who has been performing in the New York area for the last four years.

The selection of Ms. Zamata came at the conclusion of what amounted to a midseason talent search by “S.N.L.,” which had been criticized for what was described as a glaring omission in the show’s cast.

Ms. Zamata will be what the show calls a “featured player,” the conventional post for new cast members. {snip}

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The addition of Ms. Zamata will bring the current cast of “S.N.L.” to 17 players, seven of them women.