SNL: Cecily Strong MIA From Opening Credits While Doing Play in L.A.

No, you should not worry that Cecily Strong has given Saturday Night Live an Irish good-bye amid so many other Season 48 cast changes.

Strong is absent from the new opening credits that were recently filmed in New York and which debuted during this weekend’s season-opening telecast, setting off some speculation about her whereabouts and status with the show.

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But the simple truth is that Strong is currently 3,000 miles away from Studio 8H headlining The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, at L.A.’s Mark Taper Forum.

Directed by Leigh Silverman and produced in association with SNL bossman Lorne Michaels, the one-woman show is scheduled to run through Oct. 23 — after which, Strong is due to return to the SNL for what will be her 10th season with the sketch comedy series.

As previously reported, SNL is down eight cast members heading into Season 48, following the departures of Aristotle Athari, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd and Melissa Villaseñor.

Meanwhile, SNL has added four new featured players: Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker.

Returning for Season 48 are repertory players Strong, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang; featured players Andrew Dismukes, Punkie Johnson, James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman; and, presumably, Please Don’t Destroy trio Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy.

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