A literal or older-sounding noun for the person who does or performs something. In modern everyday Japanese, する人, 演者, or a more specific word is usually more natural.
He performed the shite role in a Noh play.
In older writing, 仕手 can simply mean 'the person who does it.'
shite; main role in Noh; protagonist
Technical Noh term for the principal actor or leading role, usually written シテ. It contrasts especially with ワキ, the supporting counterpart role.
この能では、シテが老人の姿で登場する。
In this Noh play, the shite appears in the form of an old man.
シテとワキのやり取りが物語の中心になる。
The exchange between the shite and the waki becomes the center of the story.
stock speculator; market operator
Stock-market term for a speculator, often one thought to be aggressively moving or manipulating a stock. Common in compounds such as 仕手株 and 仕手筋.
仕手が小型株を買い集め、株価が急騰した。
Speculators bought up the small-cap stock, and its price soared.
その銘柄には仕手の介入がうわさされている。
There are rumors that speculators are involved in that stock.
仕手がその株を買い占めた。
The market operator bought up that stock.
演者 is the everyday word for 'performer,' while 仕手 in this sense is a literary or old-fashioned term for the same idea.
投機家 is a general term for any market speculator, whereas 仕手 specifically implies aggressively moving or manipulating a particular stock.
In Noh drama シテ (仕手) is the lead role while ワキ is the supporting role that plays off it.
speculative battle; large-scale speculative go-around
upstage right pillar on a noh stage
speculative stock
speculative market; speculators' market
Main attested kanji form; common especially for the stock-market sense, and also usable for the general and Noh senses.
Katakana form usually used for the Noh role sense.
Rare/search-oriented kanji spelling; it as an occasional spelling for the general 'doer' sense.
The spelling 仕手 is transparently associated with 仕, connected with doing or serving, plus 手, often used for a person involved in an action. The exact historical development is not specified; the Noh form シテ is the same reading written in katakana as a technical role name.