The Audition

The audition took place at the Culver City Radisson in two groups. I was in the early morning group along with about 12-15 other people. Everyone was really friendly, getting to know each other before the audition started. I was surprised by how far people had come. There were people from the Bay area, Nevada, Oregon, and maybe a couple from across the country. Everyone had taken the 2008 exam a year ago - I cracked a joke how they were scraping the bottom of the barrel by squeezing us in at the last minute. But it turned out everyone already had invitations to prior auditions but just couldn't make it. Oops. Guess it's just me then, haha!

The audition started with Polaroid pictures. Oh dear. Nobody looks good in Polaroid. Maggie, the contestant coordinator, and Corina were our facilitators. Their energy and enthusiasm reduced our nerves and made the whole experience really fun! I knew I wouldn't forget Maggie any time soon. We ran through several examples and board warm-ups, and then it was time to take another 50-question test.

There is an unspoken "rule" that for these tests, you need to answer 35/50 questions right to pass. In my previous attempts, I really felt like I was on the bubble. Sometimes I would "pass", sometimes I would not pass, so I was a little nervous. I didn't want the contestant coordinators to think I was a joke! But the test turned out to be easier than the online test, and thankfully, they said everyone would be in the contestant pool for the next 18 months. Whew!

We then played a mock game - with real buzzers and a board. I was in the first group to get called up - did that mean anything?? I don't know. Maggie said the groups were completely random. Who's to know what the secret inner workings of Jeopardy! are? Maggie gave us some tips on how to conduct ourselves while playing the game. Waving the buzzer around maniacally was not recommended. Unfortunately, I forgot all about trying to impress the coordinators - I was just having too much fun! I remember getting a couple questions wrong, but enough right that I didn't feel like it was a total disaster. Maggie even commented that I had "great energy". Then came the mock interview.

The other two people in my mock game group were so calm and collected. I really hope I see them on the show soon. I felt so nervous, as I knew I would be. I fumbled through a few stories, felt really agitated, and ended the interview worried that I had just confused everyone with what exactly I do. After that, I just sat back and watched the rest of the group go up and play. I thought everyone did well, and so far, I've already seen one person from my group be on the show (and win!) Finally, we were left with the ominous words of "Don't call us - we'll call you." Truly, waiting would be the hardest part.