After helping construct the physical world behind Saturday Night Live for five decades, master carpenter Stephen “Demo” DeMaria has retired, closing a remarkable run that stretches back to the show’s earliest days.
DeMaria, who is 87, built sets for every episode since SNL debuted in 1975, and his final show came with the Season 50 finale, according to coverage of his retirement.
DeMaria’s story is the kind that rarely gets top billing in a celebrity-driven TV landscape, but it’s foundational to the weekly machine that makes SNL work: the sets that appear for a few minutes at a time, then vanish—rebuilt again and again under impossible deadlines.
Over the years, he became known inside the operation as “The Boss of the Carpenters,” a nickname that reflected both seniority and the pressure of the job.
From pre-SNL construction to a 50-year streak
DeMaria’s connection to the show started before it even premiered. He was hired in 1974 to help build the studio audience seating ahead of the program’s first season—work that put him on the radar of series creator Lorne Michaels.
He began practising carpentry at 14, and he ultimately rose to become a foreman, overseeing a crew that Gothamist described as nearly 50 carpenters who race each week to make the show’s new environments appear on cue.
The weekly grind behind a “live” illusion
The timeline is relentless. Entertainment Weekly reported that DeMaria’s routine included very early Thursday starts to review designs and coordinate the build among multiple teams. Sets are prepped at the Brooklyn Navy Yard before being transported to Studio 8H at NBC’s Rockefeller Center—then installed, reset, and swapped at speed as the show barrels toward airtime.
It’s a workflow that demands both craftsmanship and logistics: sets need to look convincing under bright studio lights and high-definition cameras, withstand rehearsals and quick changes, and still be safe for performers sprinting through doors, falling into furniture, or dancing on risers.
A career built on iconic moments—most of them unseen
DeMaria told outlets that he especially loved the early years of the show. Entertainment Weekly noted that some of his favorite builds were tied to classic sketches, including “Olympia Restaurant” and “Mister Robinson’s Neighbourhood.”
Gothamist’s profile added that he planned to retire after attending the show’s Season 50 wrap party, and quoted him expressing gratitude to Michaels for the opportunity that turned a construction job into a 50-year career.
What comes next
After spending decades helping build an institution—one set at a time—DeMaria is shifting to a quieter pace. Entertainment Weekly reported that his retirement plans include spending more time with family, as well as enjoying life at home, including his garden.
His departure marks the end of an era not just for SNL, but for the behind-the-scenes craftspeople who keep live television functioning at the highest level. The show will continue, of course—but it will do so without one of the rare crew members who could say, credibly, that he helped build SNL from the start.
