What does it take to make an actor? And beyond that, what skills does it take to shape a Shakespearean actor?

Washington, D.C.'s Shakespeare Theatre, which The Economist named as "one of the world's three great Shakespearean theatres," launched the Academy for Classical Acting in 2000 hoping to answer these questions. One of only a few such programs in existence, the intensive one-year curriculum focuses on interpreting Shakespeare and other classical texts.

We follow students and teachers at the Academy of Fine Arts as they explore the intricacies of speaking verse, working with masks and mastering Shakespearean combat.