Death of the actor : an investigation of the role of the actor within society and the changing audience perceptions of the acting profession

Abstract

This study investigates the role of the actor within society and audience perceptions of the acting profession. It aims at analysing any changes that might have occurred within this context over the past 5 decades by referring to the emergence of pop culture and its effects on art. The evaluation of different theoretical positions in cultural studies was undertaken in order to create a basis for the study. Audience perceptions were examined by comparing two focus group discussions which incorporated age as a variable, in order to determine whether any changes in viewpoint were indeed present. The overall findings reveal that there has been a redefinition of the role of the actor and of the meanings that surround it.