After a summer hiatus and several key departures from its cast, “Saturday Night Live” said on Monday that it had added three new performers to its ensemble as it begins work on its 38th season.

Cecily Strong, who comes from the national touring company of the Second City improvisational theater in Chicago, and has also been an understudy for its main stage and E.T.C. stage, is joining “SNL” as a featured performer. Also coming on as featured performers are Aidy Bryant, who trained at the iO comedy theater in Chicago and was in the ensemble of the Second City’s E.T.C. stage; and Tim Robinson, who has performed with the touring company and on the main stage of Second City.

When “SNL” broadcasts its first new episode of the season on Saturday night (with Seth MacFarlane as host and Frank Ocean as musical guest) it will be without the services of Kristen Wiig, the “Bridesmaids” star who was given a bittersweet sendoff in May. Andy Samberg, a creator of the show’s Digital Shorts franchise, said in June that he would not be returning, and Abby Elliott announced her departure in August.

There was no immediate comment from NBC on the status of Jason Sudeikis, a veteran member of the cast who performs impersonations of Mitt Romney and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., but has not yet said if he is returning to “Saturday Night Live.”

However, Seth Meyers, the “SNL” head writer and “Weekend Update” anchor, appeared to confirm that Mr. Sudeikis would be back. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mr. Meyers said he told the “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels that he’d be willing to serve as the show’s backup Romney: “I kept telling Lorne, ‘Look, anything you need me to do, I’ll do,'” Mr. Meyers said. “And that made him desperate to make sure that Plan A happened.”

This detail will presumably be worked out before 11:30 p.m. Saturday.