thespian vs performing artist

thespian and performing artist both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
thespian	Yes	Yes	No	No
performing artist	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, performing artist is a hypernym of thespian; that is, performing artist is a word with a broader meaning than thespian:

thespian: a theatrical performer
performing artist: an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

Other hypernyms of thespian include performer.

thespian (noun)	performing artist (noun)
a theatrical performer	an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience

thespian (adjective)	performing artist (adjective)
of or relating to drama