The first women comedians appeared on SNL in 1975, but since then many more women have emerged in the comedy industry such as Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. Despite the ups and downs, the show stays alive by bringing back classic sketches.
The speaker discusses the challenges of stand-up comedy and the process of getting into the groove at SNL.
In this excerpt, two comedians recount the emotional weight of being cast members of Saturday Night Live and how it gave them resilience.
The podcast discusses how working on SNL can feel like a live reality show with celebrities thrown into sketch comedy without rehearsal, cue cards, or prior experience. They also touch on the humor of bears and bear suits in comedy.
Charna Halpern started an improv group in Chicago where Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and many others began their career. Horatio Sanz began working with Halpern’s student, Adam McKay, and started writing for SNL. Sanz talks about how he was able to get his foot in the door while living in Chicago and waiting tables.