Come February, at least one lucky Penn student will share the Hollywood stage with the likes of Whoopi Goldberg and Judge Judy. Representatives from the game show Hollywood Squares came to campus Thursday to audition possible contestants for their College Week shows, which will air in February. This is the second time in less than two years that a national game show has chosen to include Penn in its contestant search. In April 1999, Wheel of Fortune selected four Penn students as contestants for the show. And representatives from the short-lived Greed visited campus last spring. The Hollywood Squares contestant search crew took over Logan Hall's Terrace Room to hold a morning and afternoon audition session for Penn students only. The final casting decision, however, will not be made until mid-December, when the lucky student will be notified by Los Angeles casting agents. Most Hollywood hopefuls heard about the search through e-mail or word of mouth. "I got an e-mail about the auditions and thought it would be fun to try out," said College senior Carolyn Naylor, who received a callback. "It's definitely better than going to work and I've always wanted to be on television." At the afternoon audition, casting agent Tony Pandolfo greeted the crowd of about 55 students and had them all introduce themselves, emphasizing that they should talk loudly and smile. Everyone then filled out a personal questionnaire and took a 25-question quiz featuring types of questions asked on the show. The quiz tested students' knowledge of trivia by asking them to "agree" or "disagree" with such statements like: "Camel hair brushes are usually made of squirrel hair" and "The Stanley Steamer was the first steam-powered locomotive." Of those who passed the quiz, at least one will appear during College Week while the others will be put in the general contestant pool. Out of the 25 students who attended the morning session, 12 students were selected while only 20 out of the 55 attending the afternoon session made the cut. College sophomore Naeema Ginwala was among those who moved on to the next casting stage. "This seemed like a good reason to cut class and now I might actually be on the show. It's a win-win situation," she said. Once selected, students had their pictures taken and, after a crash course in tic-tac-toe tactics, were asked to play a simulated round of the show. Laurie Janover, an actress and casting agent, made the mock game entertaining as she played the roles of various celebrities involved with the show. Her repertoire ranged from Bruce Vilanche impressions to a frighteningly realistic imitation of Roseanne. "We had a fairly large turnout today, although it's hard to judge because it varies so much from college to college," talent coordinator Kris Motola said. Added Pandolfo: "Doing the college search is always fun because we find that students have no pretenses and are just there to have a good time. We're always looking for charming, energetic and outgoing contestants and colleges are a great place to find them.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
