Elgin Academy teacher competes on 'Jeopardy!'

Mary Bayer says she excels at remembering “useless information” ­— a skill that might come in handy as a contestant on “Jeopardy!”

The Elgin Academy drama teacher is among 15 of the nation's brightest kindergarten through 12th-grade educators participating in the “Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament,” which will be broadcast over two weeks starting Monday, Feb. 2. The tournament comprises 10 games prerecorded over two days in Los Angeles.

“It's really surreal that you are actually there in studio, on stage, looking at the big board,” said Bayer, 35, of Hoffman Estates. “It was competitive but also really friendly. We got to know each other really well. It was an incredible experience. More than anything else, it was so fun.”

Per show rules, Bayer is not allowed to talk about how she performed in the tournament until her game segment airs at 3:30 p.m. Thursday on ABC 7.

A lifelong trivia buff, Bayer has tried for five years to get on the game show.

“That's like the gold standard of quiz shows that's out there,” she said. “I have been a fan for years.”

She took the online test twice and had two in-person auditions before being selected.

“I was really proud to be considered and to get the opportunity to compete,” she said. “I'm pretty good at the pop culture stuff, movies and TV, theater ... not so much with the math and science.”

Bayer has been teaching at Elgin Academy for nine years, and she previously worked as a children's theater actor and director across the country.

It's the first time an Elgin Academy teacher has made a game show, said Shannon Howell, assistant head of school.

“It's a tremendously big deal, and we are very proud that Mary is going to be part of a national game and that she is going to be representing Elgin Academy,” Howell said. “She's got a great memory for film, the history of theater ... her knowledge base is extensive.”

Some of Bayer's drama students got to record a six-second video message wishing her luck that will be aired during the show's broadcast.

“We are all super excited,” said senior Cassie Kemmler, 17, who has been Bayer's drama student since middle school. “It's not surprising, to be honest, because she absolutely loves 'Jeopardy!' I'm very excited to see what happens, though, because she wasn't allowed to tell us. I think she probably did pretty well. She studied very hard. She was very excited, and she's passionate about it.”

The tournament victor takes home $100,000 and an automatic berth in the next “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions;” the runner-up gets $50,000, and third place winner gets $25,000.

The highlight for Bayer was getting to meet legendary game show host Alex Trebek.

“He is very nice,” she said. “He is so knowledgeable. I hope he keeps doing it indefinitely. The other really exciting thing that happened after the last day of taping, I ran into the entire cast of 'Survivor' at the hotel. They were there for their live reunion show.”

Trebek said this year's tournament was one of the best.

“The intelligence and charisma of the contestants, combined with exemplary clues and categories from our writers, resulted in a memorable competition that will be sure to excite the teachers' students watching at home,” he said in a news release.

For a show guide, visit jeopardy.com/showguide.