ABSTRACT
For centuries, even when theatre performances were appreciated as noble works of art and culture, the actors who created them were considered people who could be denigrated with impunity. The actors themselves often exhibited contempt or rejection towards their own condition. Today, the common opinion is radically changed. Contempt has been replaced by an ample appreciation which exudes officialdom and is nourished by indifference. In Europe, the public façade of the theatre is no longer one of a tolerated craft, but of a protected artistic species, foraged by law.
