Academy Admissions | The Shakespeare Theatre Company

ACA Admissions

Application deadline: January 20, 2012

In order to receive a master’s degree, applicants to the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University must hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning as well as demonstrate a strong foundation of study and practice in theatre and a willingness to undertake rigorous classical theatre training. All applicants must meet the requirements for graduate study at GW.

Applicants without an undergraduate degree who have demonstrated professional commitment through their work in theatre are eligible to apply to the program; such applicants, if accepted, receive a Certificate of Completion in lieu of the MFA degree. Tuition and fees are the same for certificate and degree students.

Application Procedures

Applicants must submit the following to The George Washington University:

Complete an online application. For an application, click here and then click on “apply for admission.” If you have problems accessing an application or connecting to the GW website, please call 202.994.2819.
Pay a non-refundable application fee of $75 (do not send cash)
Request official or certified copies of academic records/transcripts to be sent to The George Washington University.

Mail To: The Academy for Classical Acting
2129 G St. NW
Building L (rear)
Washington, D.C. 20052

Send the following to the ACA:

Current resume & headshot
Two letters of recommendation (one professional and one academic)
Copies of:
completed and signed application form
Statement of Purpose/Essay
Transcript (official or student)

(No GRE or other standardized test scores are required, except for international students, who must submit TOEFL scores along with the application.)

* Once your application is received, you will be contacted by the ACA to schedule an audition.

Audition Procedures
Auditions will be held in January and February in the following cities:

Saturday, January 28, 2012 – New York
Saturday, February 4, 2012 – Chicago
Sunday, February 12, 2012 – San Francisco
Saturday, February 18, 2012 – Washington, D.C.

For the audition, please prepare two classical, contrasting monologues (from Shakespeare and in verse) that are 2-3 minutes each in length. Callbacks are held on the same day as your audition. If you are called back, you should have 1-2 additional classical monologues prepared as well as a contemporary piece.