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"   Photo: Sasheer Zamata via Disney ABC Television Group  Since Maya Rudolph left the show in 2007, Saturday Night Live has been without a black female cast member. That&amp;#039;s a long time, and it&amp;#039;s not like no one&amp;#039;s noticed: Cast member Kenan Thompson famously complained about the lack of diversity earlier this year, while guest star Kerry Washington mocked the situation in her opening skit last month. It&amp;#039;s finally come to a head, though, with producer Lorne Michaels promising to add a black woman to the cast in the middle of this season\u2014 an unprecedented move for the show, which has never added anyone to the cast mid-season. While no one&amp;#039;s sure what drove Michaels to finally move with such a sense of urgency\u2014 complaints from cast members, NBC higher-ups, or something else\u2014 one thing is reportedly true: Michaels held a &amp;quot;secret&amp;quot; audition for black comediennes in New York City last month, and he&amp;#039;s narrowed the talent pool down to a few finalists. Related:Kerry Washington Spoofs &amp;#039;What Does the Fox Say?&amp;#039; on &amp;#039;SNL&amp;#039; According to the New York Daily News, three women have thus far received call backs: Kerry Coddett, Natasha Rothwell, and Sasheer Zamata. Michaels told the The New York Times that SNL could add &amp;quot;as many as two&amp;quot; cast members in the mid-season move, but after watching these clips, we&amp;#039;re hoping for three. These women are all hilarious. Sasheer Zamata:      Kerry Coddett:      Natasha Rothwell:      "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/news/a16992/snl-black-female-cast-member/>