From Location to Relationships: A Network of Actors for the P4 Theater Decade of Practice Study
From Position to Relation: A Study on the Actor-Network Topology of p4 Theater's Ten-Year Practice
Summary
The aim of the study is to conduct an in-depth analysis of national aspirations and theories of the experimental practice of P4 Theater (2015-2025). P4 Theater, with its unique participatory mechanisms, "failure" embraces and mobile organizational patterns, poses a fundamental challenge to the production model of traditional theatre. In this paper, the key to understanding p4 practice is to complete a shift in analytical perspectives from a "location" approach based on fixed identities to a "relationship" approach based on dynamic connectivity.
To achieve this transformation, the study has built a two-tiered theoretical framework. At the introspective level, Bruno Latour's Actors Networking Theory (ANT) has been introduced to see the p4 domain as a heterogeneity network assembled by human and non-human actors (space, objects, rules). On this basis, an original analytical tool, the Architect-NPC-Peaver, is presented with a four-dimensional dynamic model to track the flow of "translation" processes and functional roles within the network.
By microanalyzing the specific case of p4 (e.g. the evolution of "510 Space"), the paper argues that the core mechanism of p4 is not to eliminate the pre-existing "position" of society, but rather to suspense, disrupt and deprove it. In the process, "playing" is overshadowed, while a Victor Turner-style "intersecting community" based on shared risk can be formed instantaneously.
In addition, this paper will explore in depth the ethical risks, the rebirth of power and its profound social implications as a "failed community" in p4 practice, in the context of Jacques Lacan's psychoanalytic theory and Claire Bishop's participatory art criticism. The study concluded that the practice of p4 was not only an innovation in the form of art, but also a profound social experiment on how sociality was "assembled" in contemporary cities, which provided an important theoretical and practical reference for understanding the social function of art and the possibilities of public life.
Keywords: P4 Theater; Actors Networking Theory (ANT); Social Possibilities; Relations; Location; Architect-NPC - Player-Peeper Model; Participatory Art; Community; Failure Ethics
Outline
Introduction
1.1 Origin of the study: P4 Theater as a "issue"
P4 Theater's uniqueness: non-fixed premises, mobile participants, commitment to "failure" and "real".
Traditional theatrical theory (director-centres, text-centres) and participation in art criticisms are limited in the analysis of p4.
Questions were raised on the core research: How did P4 Theater, through its unique practice, reshape the landscape and generate a new community? What is the mechanism for its inherent operation?
1.2 Core arguments: Topography conversion from location to relationship
The central argument of this paper is clearly: the revolutionary nature of p4 is the transformation from a "location-based" to a "relationship-based" approach.
A brief description of the ANT perspective and the original four-dimensional model to be used in this paper, and an account of why this framework can more effectively capture the dynamics of p4.
1.3 Methods and implications of research
Research methodology: Theoretical structure, text analysis (based on material released at p4) and integration of participatory observations.
Theory: provides a new analytical framework for participatory art research; promotes the use of ANT in the arts; promotes interdisciplinary dialogue between theatre theory and sociology and philosophy.
Practical: Provide a model of organization and creativity for experimental theatre groups; provide a new perspective for understanding the social connection and public life of contemporary urban youth.
1.4 Overview of paper structure
Briefly describe the main elements and logic of each chapter.
Chapter I. Theoretical framework: assembly of an analytical toolbox
2.1 The ghost of "location": criticalization of traditional theatre power Recalling
An analysis of the linear power chain and its spatial expansion of the traditional theatrical theatre, "Creative director and actor-audience".
Discussion of the continuing influence of the pre-social "position" (class, gender, educational background) in theatre.
It is clear that the study does not claim that p4 eliminates "location", but rather "problems".
2.2 Relationship Theory: Introduction of Actors Networking Theory (ANT)
Description of the core concepts of ANT: actor, broad symmetry, network, translation (four moments).
Proof of why ANT was the appropriate "mixory theory" for analysing the heterogeneity and mobility practice of p4.
2.3 Four-Done Models as Microscopes: Architects, NPC, Players and Peepers
A detailed description of the content, function and dynamical mechanisms of the original four-dimensional model.
Position it as a specific analytical tool to observe the p4 domain using ANT.
2.4 Interpretation lens: Lacan, Turner and Bishop ' s intervention
To explain how the theories of Lacan (realism, gaze), Turner (thresholds, intersections) and Bishop (ethics of participation) are used to explain particular phenomena and to build a multilayered system of theoretical collaboration.
Chapter II "Archives" blueprint: rules, space and recruitment politics
3.1 Foundation: Recruitment as "problem"
An analysis of the recruitment documents at p4 to explore how they set the agenda to attract specific groups of people to complete the "probleming" moment in ANT.
Discuss the possible "hidden threshold" and the initial boundaries of the Community.
3.2 "Rules" and "space" as core actors
Microanalysing the specific "rules" of p4 to demonstrate how it empowers, prohibits and leads the formation of relationships as a non-human actor.
Case study: From the "sculpture table" to the "510" - a detailed analysis of how the upheavals in space (non-human actors) have forced the rejuvenation of network density and intimacy.
3.3 Invisibility of the "architect" and separation of power
To explore how the founder's "architect" role can be "invisible" when events take place by entrenching power in rules and space, does that mean a more subtle form of power?
Chapter III Network generation: NPC catalytic and player games
4.1 NPC's "benefit-giving": Catalyst to initiate network deformation
An analysis of the functions of "NPC" or "task" in practice at p4 to demonstrate how they "sniff" participants through predictable behaviour, cutting them off from external networks and achieving "benefit-giving".
4.2 From "poachers" to "players": a one-off phenomenon Learn.
In the context of the second person's description of the experience, a detailed description of the psychological and behavioural transition of participants from passive observation of active participation, that is, the "call-in" moment in ANT.
An analysis of the particular act of "Shooting" demonstrates how it has become a unique way of establishing the subject between "poaching" and "playing".
4.3 The emergence of "players" game and "community"
Analyse collaboration, confrontation, consultation among players to see how networks are "mobilized".
Using Turner's theory, the moment of creation of the Community is defined as the appearance of a "mutual state".
Chapter IV Critical reflection: ethics of failure, regenerative power and the cost of realism
5.1 Failed ethics: "failure to embrace" as a method
Proof of "failure" is not only a result in p4 but a methodological and ethical gesture.
It contrasts it with the art of consumer participation, which is critical of Bishop and which seeks a smooth "experiment".
5.2 New power generation: a review of the myth of "decentralization"
Analyse whether there are new power asymmetries in seemingly equal networks.
5.3 The costs of real life: the ethical risks of a Lacanian perspective
Using the Lacanian theory, analyzes the "real" quest of p4 and the possibility of exposing participants to traumatic "the Real" prematurely and excessively.
Explore whether there are protection or guidance mechanisms for such psychological risks in their field.
Conclusions
6.1 Summary of the study: P4 Theater as a relationship tectonic laboratory
A systematic summary of the study found that the reaffirmation of p4 transformed the theatre into a self-generated, heterogeneity social network by recasting the "relationship".
It was re-emphasized that "from location to relationship" was the central key to understanding its innovation.
6.2 Theoretical contributions and research limitations
Summarizing the contribution of this paper to theory (development of art applications of ANT, original analysis models) and methodology (interdisciplinary research).
To be frank with the limitations of this study and to indicate the direction of future research.
6.3 End: Unfinished social missions in the arts
Return to p4 practice itself, emphasizing its "unfinished" and continuing exploratory character.
In a broader socio-cultural context, exploring the practice of p4 is of profound significance in thinking about the emancipation potential of contemporary public life, social connections and art.
Introduction
1.1 Origin of the study: P4 Theater as a "issue"
The 10-year practice of P4 Theater (2015-2025) constitutes a unique and difficult "problematic" existence in contemporary Chinese drama. It is not a traditional troupe of regular actor formations and performances, but more like a mobile project-centred art laboratory and social energy conglomerate. Its uniqueness is evident at many levels: it travels through abandoned factories, offices, park lawns and even on-line spaces, making unstable areas itself a central element of creation; it is open to recruitment from society, with participants changing identities between viewers, creators and actors, making the process of production highly uncertain; and, crucially, it repeatedly emphasizes the capture of "real" in its discourse and practice, the embrace of "failure" and the abdication of all established authority. His founder, He Fa, described it in his summation article as a resulting university, a crumbling labyrinth, a hard drive engraving life, which, in sum, reflects precisely the complexity and unfixed nature of its form.
The traditional framework of dramatic analysis appears to be overstretched by the practice of P4 Theater. Neither the "centre of the script", which focuses on the text, nor the "centre of the director", which emphasizes the authority of the director, can explain p4 as a de-centre, co-generation production model. Even the theory of participatory art and immersive Theatre, which emerged late in the evening, often faces difficulties in facing p4. Mainstream immersion theatres tend to aim at providing consumers with a well-designed, fluid "experiment", while p4 practices are filled with a crude sense of quality, uncomfortable tension and even view "mistake" and "failure" as integral components of their methodology. Thus, P4 Theater is not just an art case worth studying, but rather constitutes a "question" that challenges the existing theoretical framework: how does P4 Theater, through its unique practice, reshape the relationship between creators, participants and exhibition space and, in the process, create a new, instant community? Behind what appears to be a confusing or even contradictory operation, is there an inherent and analysed generation mechanism?
1.2 Core arguments: Topography conversion from location to relationship
In response to these questions, the study makes a central argument: the key to understanding the revolutionary practice of P4 Theater is to complete a fundamental shift in the analytical perspective from a "location" based on fixed identity to a "relationship" based on dynamic connectivity.
The bottom logic of traditional drama analysis is a "location theory" - it presupposes a set of solid social "positions" of "authors", "directors", "actors", "audiences", etc., and their relationship is determined by these predetermined positions. Your identity determines your behavior. The practice of p4 subverts this logic and presents a "relationship theory" character: In a well-designed field, your current actions, your choice of whom (or what) to connect to, and the way you build a connection define in turn your current function and temporary "identity". Your behavior determines who you are.
In order to clearly explain this shift, the study will build a two-tiered theoretical framework. At the macro level, this paper will introduce Bruno Latour's Action Networkory (Actor-Network Theory, ANT) to see the p4 field as a heterogeneity network of humans and non-human actors - including participants, space, objects, rules, light, sound, etc. - "assemble" (assemble). At the microlevel of analysis, this paper presents an original analytical tool, the four-dimensional dynamic model of the architect-NPC-player-poacher. The model is not a fixed identity label, but a "functional location" for the four types of mobility that may be occupied by actors in the network. By tracking the "trips" of individuals between these functional positions, and how non-human actors have contributed to or blocked these leaps, we will be able to reveal the subtle, self-generated network dynamics that P4 Theater has hidden under the seemingly confusing appearance of P4 Theater.
1.3 Methods and implications of research
The study will adopt a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, consisting mainly of
Theoretical construction: Integration and development of the network theory of actors, Lacan psychoanalysis, ritual theory and participatory art criticism, leading to an original, multilayered analytical framework.
Text Analysis: Text materials such as P4 Theater ' s 10-year public recruitment case, creation self-statements, participant feedback, interview records, etc. are read in depth as key entry points into its inner operating logic and speech system.
Case Ethnic Analysis: Select a typical case such as the evolution of "510 Space" and carry out detailed, ethnic micro-analysis to validate and enrich theoretical models with experience and context.
The significance of the study can be seen at two levels
Theoretical: First, the study seeks to provide a new analytical framework with sociological and philosophical depths beyond aesthetic judgments and description of phenomena for participatory art and experimental theatre research. Second, the study will promote the application and development of ANT in the field of humanities and the arts by applying the theory of ANT to practical cases of art. Finally, it is committed to promoting interdisciplinary dialogue in the fields of theatre theory and sociology, psychoanalysis and exploring new possibilities for artistic research.
Practical: An in-depth analysis of P4 Theater can provide other experimental, community-based artistic groups with models for organizing, creating and mobilizing. More importantly, in the context of the urbanization of globalization and the increasing atomization of society, the p4 exploration of how to "create connections" and how to build a "failed community" provides us with valuable empirical references and profound social inspiration for rethinking the possibilities of contemporary youth in public life, the nature of social relations and the emancipation role that art can play.
1.4 Overview of paper structure
The paper is divided into four chapters, with the exception of introductory remarks and conclusions.
The first chapter will build the theoretical framework of this paper in a systematic manner, introducing the actors' network theory as a "mixed theory" based on a critical review of traditional dramas, and elaborating on the "quartet" as a core analytical tool, while defining the functions of the "interpretative lens" of Lacan, Turner and Bishop.
Chapter II will focus on the function of "architects", analysing how p4 can complete the initial "assembly" and "problemization" of the entire network of actors through rules, space and recruitment politics.
Chapter III will go deep into the dynamic generation process of the network, using a four-dimensional model to track how the NPC catalyses, how players play, and eventually how the full "translation" chain emerges from the Community.
Chapter IV will enter the level of critical reflection on the "failure ethics" in p4 practice, the rebirth of new powers and the ethical risks that may exist in the pursuit of "real".
Through the progressive analysis of the above layers, the study is expected to provide a comprehensive reading of the complex cultural phenomenon of P4 Theater with both theoretical depth and empirical detail.
Chapter I. Theoretical framework: assembly of an analytical toolbox
In order to effectively analyse the complex practice of P4 Theater, we must first get rid of the inertia of traditional theatre theory and proactively "assemble" a more adaptive and penetrating theoretical toolbox. The purpose of this chapter is to systematically construct this theoretical framework consisting of three levels: "metatheory", "analytical tools" and "interpretation lens". It will begin with a critical review of traditional dramas based on "location" population, in order to establish the starting point for our research; then introduce the Actors' Networking Theory (ANT) as the introspective basis for the whole study; above this, elaborate on our original "Ten-Dynamic Dynamic Model" as a core analytical tool; and finally, explicitly integrate Racan, Turner and Bishop as an interpretation lens for deepening analysis of specific issues.
2.1 The ghost of "location": criticalization of traditional theatre power Recalling
The inner structure of traditional theatres, however varied their aesthetic styles, tends to follow a solid "location"-based social leap. This extended structure is defined by a linear, hierarchical chain of power: the writing director, the actor, the audience. In this chain, each role is assigned a relatively fixed "position", which determines its function, scope of authority and relationship to other positions. The writer is the source of meaning, the director is the interpreter of authority, the actor is the faithful executive and the audience is the passive, safe receiver. This power extends into the physical space and is reinforced by the bipolar opposites of the "stage-audience" and the "fourth wall", an insurmountable border.
However, the analysis of P4 Theater must be wary of an oversimplified assertion that it is completely "extermination". In fact, before entering the p4 domain, the participants had been branded with various stubborn social "positions" - their class identity, educational background, gender ethos, cultural capital, etc. These prepositions of "positions" are like "ghosts" and do not disappear completely as a result of an artistic experience. They profoundly influence the way individuals participate, the preference for relationships and the sense of security in the field. Thus, the central argument of this study is not that p4 created a "no location" utopia, but rather that the practice of p4 is a conscious suspendment (subsend), disorder (disturb) and problemification (problematize) of these pre-set, solid social "positions" through a sophisticated set of mechanisms. It creates an "exceptional state" in which "relationships" are temporarily empowered to take precedence over "location", thus making it possible to generate a new dominant and social nature.
2.2 Relationship Theory: Introduction of Actors Networking Theory (ANT)
To understand how "relationships" are given priority, Bruno Latour's Actors' Networking Theory (ANT) provides us with the most fundamental "metatheory" support. The revolutionary nature of ANT lies in its "extensive principle of symmetry", which rejects the predisposition of the world into "human/social" and "natural/material" fields, and advocates that the existence of all who can "make a difference" - whether human or non-human - be considered equal "actant". The so-called "social" or any order is not a pre-existing background, but rather a fragile and dynamic "network" by which these heterosexual actors are "assembly" through a process known as "translation".
Applying ANT to P4 Theater's analysis means that we will no longer regard space, objects, rules as passive "environment" or "protocols", but as actors as important as human participants.
Space itself (e.g. small 510 offices) imposes human distance by its physical attributes.
A rule (e.g. "You may at any time suspend") authorizes or prohibits specified conduct.
An object (e.g. a chair) in its form "invite" or "rejected" in a position-form.
The ANT perspective provides the cornerstone of our introspective shift from position to relationship. It shows that the p4 field is not a container in which "persons" operate, but a network of relationships that are woven together, human and non-human. Analysis p4, to track the assembly of the network.
2.3 Four-Done Models as Microscopes: Architects, NPC, Players and Peepers
If ANT provides a world view, then we need a specific microscope to see the microworld of p4. To that end, the study built an original analytical tool: the four-dimensional dynamic model of the architect-NPC-player-poacher. The four players in the model are not fixed identities, but functional positions that any human actor in the network may temporarily occupy
Architect: Designer and founder of the network. Its function is to complete the "problematicization" of the network by setting rules, adapting space and issuing recruitment before an event begins to inject unstable "powers" into the entire field.
NPC (Non-Player Character): Network catalyst and stabilizer. It is usually the core members who play a simple, repetitive role. Its function is to initiate events, break the deadlock and "aduce" other actors into the network as a predictable variable.
Player: The core builder of the network. They are those who have accepted the "compact" of the network and have taken the initiative of interacting, playing and creating. They are actors of the Enrollment and successful Mobilisation, and the Community was created mainly among them.
Peeper: The boundaries and tensions of the network. They are participants who are trying to keep their traditional audience positions, but have been embarrassed by structural changes. Their "non-participation" is an act in itself, and its "observation" constitutes pressure on players and sustains the dynamic tension of the network.
The key to this model is its dynamic nature. The individual can "leap" between these four functional positions, and it is this mobility that constitutes the underlying dynamic of the P4 Theater network growing itself.
2.4 Interpretation lens: Lacan, Turner and Bishop ' s intervention
On the basis of the meta-theory of ANT and the analytical tools of the four meta-models, we have introduced three "interpretative lenses" to provide an in-depth interpretation of the specific phenomena observed, thus creating a multilayered system of theoretical collaboration.
Jacques Lacan's psychoanalysis: When we observe the intense anxiety in the p4 domain, the pursuit of "real" and the pressure of "observation", Lacan's theory will provide a critical interpretation. Its concepts of the real world, Gaze and the big other will help us understand the deep psychodynamic and ethical dimensions of p4 practice.
Victor Turner's ritual theory: Turner's theory is indispensable when we try to define the nature of the "Community" that comes out of p4. Its concepts of thresholdity and communitas are precise in describing temporary, equal, strong emotional connections that break the fabric of everyday society.
Claire Bishop's engagement art criticism: When we need to distinguish the p4 practice from other contemporary participatory arts, Bishop's critical framework will provide a powerful weapon. Her theory helps us to discern the essential differences between p4 practice and the "constructed hell" that she judges as "expering consumption", thus highlighting the ethical seriousness and social criticalness of p4.
In conclusion, this theoretical toolbox, assembled in this chapter, aims to create a comprehensive research framework that includes both a macrophysical perspective and a fine microanalysis tool, while also providing a deep interpretation lens. It will guide our next chapter in a systematic and in-depth go-to exploration of P4 Theater ' s complex practice.
Chapter II "Archives" blueprint: rules, space and recruitment politics
Under the visualization of the actor network theory, the formation of any network begins with the "translation" process initiated by one or more core actors. In the practice of P4 Theater, the functions of this initial phase are summarized as those of the Architect. This chapter will focus on this function and explore how p4 can lay the foundation for its network expansion and complete the initial "problematicization" of participants through careful rule design, strategic use of space and unique recruitment politics. This is not a simple technical preparatory process, but rather a foundational exercise filled with power, desire and political connotations, which predetermines the boundaries between the "law of the game" and the possibility of the whole field.
3.1 Foundation: Recruitment as "problem"
The network assembly of P4 Theater began not at the moment when participants entered the physical space, but at the time when their recruitment papers were published in the public domain. These texts, whether published in social media or disseminated through specific communities, constitute the first step in the formation of networks - the "problemization" in the sense of ANT. At the heart of "problemization" lies the proposal of a "issue that must be solved through me" (Obligatory Passage Point, OPP). The recruitment text of p4 was designed to attract and screen its initial actors by building such an OPP.
By analysing the recruitment text for calendar year p4, we can find several typical strategies for its "problemization"
Build Puzzles: like, "Come to P4 Theater and plant your seeds, | a journey from Mystery to History." Rather than providing clear performance information, the title presents a "mysterious puzzle" of mystique and unknownness, packaging artistic events into a "mysterious journey" that requires the personal input of the participants.
Recourse to "traumatism" and "desperateness": recruitments such as the "Guide de suspense de la sauvegarde de la los los los los Mujeres" or "Drama and fear - offering our future" directly touch the general emotional dilemma and anxiety of urban youth in contemporary times. It defines the p4 domain as a "safe" space to deal with individual traumas and the desire to be set free everywhere, thereby attracting those who have such emotional needs.
`Challenges' and `commitments': `p4X challenges recruitment', `To be a torch that ignites random sequences of fireworks', and so on, in a radical and challenging gesture, summons those who are eager to take risks and seek a breakthrough. It is committed not to a comfortable "watch", but to an experience of "becoming" or something with the power to change.
It is worth noting that this process of "problemization" is itself of a political nature. It does not treat everyone equally. Its speech systems (e.g. frequent use of terms such as "generation", "securing", "Community") and emotional claims create an invisible "access threshold" in the intangible. It is more likely to attract young intellectuals or literary lovers with a certain cultural capital, knowledge of experimental art and specific emotional structures. Thus, at the time the foundation was laid, the "architects" had inadvertently drawn an initial and somewhat homogenous border for this seemingly open community.
3.2 "Rules" and "space" as core actors
When participants are recruited to "problem" and enter the field, they meet two of the most powerful non-human actors: rules and space. In practice, at p4 these two are highly dynamically empowered by "architects", and they are no longer a passive background but a central force in the proactive shaping of relationships.
Rules as actors: The rule at p4 is usually declared at the beginning in the form of an oral contract and is characterized by simplicity and fundamentality. For example, "there is no fixed seat here", "You can remain silent, but your silence will be seen", "This is a place without the fourth wall". The functions of these rules are
Authorisation: The rule that you can suspend events at any time gives every participant unprecedented power and breaks the absolute authority of the director.
Prohibition (Prohibit): The "Close your mobile phone" rule is intended to cut off participants from external social networks and force them to focus on the relationships that are being developed in the field.
Guided (Guide): By setting basic interactive syntax, the rules guide the relationship network towards a more unpredictable and risky direction.
Space as an actor: the use of non-traditional space is a major feature of this. Space is no longer a neutral container but an active "accompaniment".
Case study: The dramatic space change from the "sculpture table" to the "510" - the network re-constructed in space, p. 4, to move from a "200 m2 to eight m" plant to an office with only "16 m2" in 2021 provides us with an excellent case for observing space dynamics.
In large plants, wide spaces allow for significant physical distance between participants. This makes the location of the "poachers" very secure and the connection between individuals requires greater initiative. The network is thin and multi-centre at the initial stage.
In the "510" office, extremely small space (non-human actors) compresses interpersonal distance by force. The founder of p4 described it as follows: "Everyone comes together, so the connection has to happen." Here, the unwitting, inescapable look of the body becomes normal. Space itself minimizes the threshold of relationships (whether awkward, conflicting or intimate). It has brutally deprived the "poachers" of safe distance, forcing everyone to immediately become a closely connected node in the network. It can be said that the "510" space, with its own physical attributes, is a powerful catalyst for network classification and rapid community generation.
3.3 Invisibility of the "architect" and separation of power
When the initial creation of the network is completed through recruitment, rules and space, "architects" (usually founders or core organizers) tend to choose "invisibility" or marginalization during the course of an event. This seems to be a devolution of power aimed at achieving a "decentralized", self-generated domain.
However, from the Foucault-style analysis of power, this is not the disappearance of power, but the fragmentation and transformation of power. The authority of the architect, through his/her design rules and choice of space, has been engraved in the "physical law" of the entire network. He/she no longer needs direct command control of the field, as the field itself will come from me according to his/her blueprint. The "freedom" acquired in the presence of the participants is in fact a "controlled freedom" within carefully designed borders.
The analysis in this chapter therefore reveals the complexity of the P4 Theater "generation" phase. It is a "basic-building" process of strategy and politics. Through a series of sophisticated designs, the architects "translate" their intentions into the basic operating logic of the network as a whole, successfully involving a group of exotic and unrelated actors in a "problem" that he has set, paving the way for the next stage - the full generation of the network and the game.
Chapter III Network generation: NPC catalytic and player games
If the function of an "architect" is to map the network and inject the initial "power", then the real vitality of the network is reflected in its internal dynamic generation. This chapter will focus on the evolution of the p4 domain in the course of the event, using a four-fold model of architect-NPC-player-poacher, to track in detail how a thin collection of unknown individuals is gradually "translated" into a close and dynamic network of actors. This process began with NPC's "benefits" as a catalyst, through the crucial "recruitment" of "players" and eventually led to the emergence of the Community as a result of "mobilization" in the complex game of "players".
4.1 NPC's "benefit-giving": Catalyst to initiate network deformation
In the initial phase of the p4 domain, although participants have been "problemed" and placed in an environment full of rules and space forces, networks are usually still in a state of watching and high-tension silence. It is often the "NPC" (non-player role) of our model that breaks this deadlock and activates network deformation. In p4 practice, the NPC is not a "small player" in the non-traditional theatre, but a core actor programmed to perform specific tasks as a catalyst for networks. Their functions correspond perfectly to the second moment of ANT's "translation" - "Incentivement".
The term "benefit-giving" refers to an actor who, through a range of devices and strategies, "stalks" and "targets" other actors to "interest" in joining their own networks, while cutting them off from other networks. The NPC in p4 fulfils this function by
Creating "incidents" to attract attention: NPC created the first "incident" in an otherwise homogenous field by carrying out simple, repetitive and even grotesque actions (e.g. endless drawing lines on the ground, asking everyone the same question). The incident, like a magnet, forced the eyes of the "poachers" to drift away (the attention network), forcing them to turn their attention away from their inner monologues or from their observation of the environment to an ongoing operation that needs to be interpreted.
Providing a "low-risk" interface: As NPC behaviour is predictable, non-emotional, procedural, and interacting with them, the social risk is much lower than that of an entirely unknown, unpredictable "poacher". When an NPC delivers an item to you, it is a clear, fixed "proposal", which provides a relatively safe transition for those who hesitate to enter the "player" role.
The field is interpreted as a "living rule": the NPC's action is an exhibition of abstract rules set by the "architect". Their presence allows other participants to learn the "grammatics" of this strange world through observation, thus lowering the cognitive threshold of participation.
In these ways, the NPC has succeeded in "sniffing" the participants, pulling them out of an isolated, incisive state and creating the necessary conditions for the next stage - the "recruitment".
4.2 From "poachers" to "players": a one-off phenomenon Learn.
Enroll is the most critical and vulnerable step in the networking process. It means that actors have succeeded in assigning and targeting roles to other members, accepting them and beginning to play them. In the p4 domain, this is reflected in the leap of participants from a "poacher" to a "player" functional position. This leap is not a simple decision, but a phenomenonal event full of internal struggles and external pressures.
The threshold of leap: this threshold is usually triggered by a direct "call". This call may come from an NPC (e.g. by asking you directly), from a participant who has become a "player" (e.g. by inviting you to join their game), or even from the silent pressure of the local atmosphere. At this point, the safe distance of the Peeper was broken and he/she was pushed to a crossroads where choices had to be made.
"Showing" as a special leap: as the founders of p4 emphasized, taking a camera or mobile phone for "Shooting" constitutes a unique leap in the p4 domain. It is not a full-fledged "player", nor a completely alienated "stalker", but a "suspension" involvement. Through the action of "porning", the actors both maintain a certain aesthetic distance from the event and proactively engage in and construct the significance of the event through the selection of the target, drawings, etc. This behaviour led participants to take up an anti-self-reflexive position and to find a unique, self-dominant anchor between "look" and "do", an original development of the traditional mode of participation at p4.
The consequences of the leap: once the individual has made the leap, whether in the form of a "player" or a "photographer", he/she has changed fundamentally in his/her position in the web boom. He/she went from being a passive observer of a network to being a active builder. Each of his/her actions will have a ripple effect, affecting other nodes of the network, and must also bear the risks and responsibilities associated with the action.
4.3 The emergence of "players" game and "community"
When a sufficient number of participants were "retarded" as "players", the entire p4 domain entered its core phase: a complex interactive gaming network led by "players". This corresponds to the last moment of ANT's "translation", "mobilization". At this stage, recruited members no longer play passive roles, but act proactively and spontaneously on behalf of the interests of the network as a whole, thus allowing the network as a whole to operate steadily and produce itself.
Complicated relationships between players: The interaction of players generates a variety of types of relationships, including collaboration, confrontation, consultation, imitation, betrayal, etc. These relationships are fluid and unstable, and together they produce a complex and variable "event script". The meaning is no longer predetermined by "architects", but "emerge" in these unpredictable games.
The emergence of the Community, the state of convergence, emerges as a peak experience at a particular moment in the game of players. Using Victor Turner's theory, we can precisely define this community as a "terminality" (Communitas). It usually occurs in the following situations
Work together: When a group of players succeeds in working together for a common purpose, no matter how ridiculous, a sense of collective achievement that transcends individual boundaries can flourish.
Shared failure: When a collective attempt is "failed" and all participants face the ensuing embarrassment, silence or frustration, a deeper connection based on "common vulnerability" is created.
Sharing a taboo or a secret: the "barrage" or a secret created in the field and understood only by the field constitutes a strong link separating this temporary group from the outside world.
The emergence of this "coherent state" marked the culmination of p4 network assembly. At this moment, isolated individuals were successfully "mobilized" to form a network of temporary, efficient and emotional actors. Thus, the core objective of P4 Theater to "generate a community" was achieved in a specific, non-replicable event.
Chapter IV Critical reflection: ethics of failure, regenerative power and the cost of realism
The analysis of P4 Theater, if only in praise of its generation mechanisms and in recognition of the experience of its community, inevitably leads to an naive romanticism. A rigorous academic study requires a critical rethinking of its stated ideas and actual functioning. As a radical social laboratory, has P4 Theater, while breaking the old framework, given rise to new, more hidden power structures? Is its commitment to "real" accompanied by ethical risks that cannot be ignored? What is the critical value of its unique "failure ethic" in contemporary art ecology? This chapter will provide critical reflection on these issues at three levels, with a view to revealing the complex contradictions and deep tensions behind the p4 practice.
5.1 Failed ethics: "failure to embrace" as a method
In P4 Theater's self-presentation and practice, "failure" is a core concept repeatedly emphasized - From the name of the "Lower Sharon and the Loser Alliance" to the frankness of "the error can only be proved". This constitutes the most extraordinary Lun-Ri attitude of p4. It does not view failure as an accident to be avoided, but rather as a necessary methodological and ethical principle.
Resistance to consumerism's "exposure": We can introduce Claire Bishop's criticism of mainstream participatory art in Man-made Hell. According to Bishop, many so-called "infiltration" or "participatory" projects are essentially designed to provide middle-class consumers with a carefully designed, safe and manageable "experimental product" that ultimately leads to pleasure. Under this logic, negative experiences such as "failure", "affliction", "conflict" are strictly excluded. The "failure ethic" of p4 constitutes a direct resistance to this consumerist logic. It refuses to commit itself to a fluid, pleasant experience and instead throws participants into a situation of uncertainty, which can lead to frustration and discomfort. It provides not a "work" for consumption, but an "event" that requires participants to share their vulnerabilities.
The social meaning of "failed community": the community created by p4 can therefore be defined as a "failed community". This community bond is based not on shared success or identity, but on shared risk of failure and shared witness of each other ' s vulnerability. In a highly competitive social environment that embraces "successful learning", such a space that legitimizes "failure" and from which connections and forces can be sought, has a profound psychosocial comfort function. It provides a temporary shelter (Asylum) for individuals who feel marginalized or "failed" in the mainstream value system.
However, this embrace of failure is not entirely without problems. Is it possible to evolve into a romanticization of "incompetence", thereby defusing the political dynamics of actors to change reality? Will the emphasis on "failure" exclude those who are unwilling or unable to withstand such psychological pressure, thereby creating in fact another kind of exclusion? These are the tensions that must be faced within "failed ethics".
5.2 New power generation: a review of the myth of "decentralization"
P4 Theater prides himself on his "de-centreization", "co-creation", and "anti-authority". However, any area that claims "no power" is most worthy of looking at the re-emergence of these new power relationships with a Foco-style power analysis. To what extent is the "decentroization" of p4 real and elaborate "mythology"?
"Archives" have unmistakable power: even though the founders or the core organisers (architects) chose "invisible" in the course of the event, they have acquired the most fundamental "metapower" by designing the initial rules, spaces and recruitment, as analysed in chapter II. They define the boundaries and basic grammar of the whole game. The "freedom" of participants is within this pre-established framework. This power is structural, more diffuse, more difficult to detect and may thus be more robust.
The charisma authority of the founder's charisma: the text and practice of p4, the personal will of the founder, He Fa, and the idea of art are everywhere. From the introduction of psychoanalytic theory to the philosophical thinking of "failure", his personal mark is deeply etched. This "Charismatic" authority, which is based on personal talent, vision and personality glamour, although distinct from the institutional power of traditional directors, may be more powerful and invisible. To what extent does the participants ' endorsement of the p4 concept follow this personal charm? When "anti-authority" itself becomes an authority, do participants still have the possibility to challenge it?
The invisibility of "old players" and "new players": in any community that continues to operate, there will naturally be a circle of "core" and "marginal" members. For p4, there is inevitably an asymmetry between information and experience between "old players" who have repeatedly engaged in, and in-depthly understood, their "practices" (e.g. "generation", "securing", "fields" etc.) and "new players" who have first entered. This asymmetry translates into an invisible power relationship. The behaviour of the old players is more likely to be seen as an "exemplary", and their interpretation of the rules is more authoritative, which may intuitively suppress the spontaneousity and creativity of the new players, making the so-called "free generation" actually imitating an established "p4" style.
Thus, a power analysis of p4 reveals a paradox
In order to achieve a decentralised and equitable field, p4 must rely on a highly centralized initial design controlled by the "architects"; in order to resist external authority, it may internalize a new authority based on personal charm and community qualifications. Recognition and examination of this paradox is key to understanding p4 complexity.
5.3 The costs of real life: the ethical risks of a Lacanian perspective
P4 Theater's most radical pursuit is the capture of the "real" - that "can't erase and suppress". This quest can be accurately matched to the "the Real" of Jacques Lacan's psychoanalytic theory. The real world is the traumatized, formerly symbolic kernel that transcends language (the symbolism) and imagination. The practice of p4 can be seen as a well-designed "mechanism" designed to "stuck" the surface of reality in the real world by breaking the day-to-day symbolic order and imagination, thereby giving participants a shock experience.
As the theatre of the "traumatism machine": when a participant is called upon to perform an embarrassing task in the eyes of the public, when an intense debate touches upon the deep wounds of the individual, and when the sudden silence leaves all disguises untouched... At these moments, the "playbooks" of everyday life have failed and the traumatic kernel of the real world has been exposed. This experience is undoubtedly profound, and it can "liberate" the suppressed emotions, but it also carries with it great ethical risks. Does p4 provide participants with adequate psychological preparation and "safety nets" to deal with this potential trauma? Who is responsible for this "decenterized" community when a participant suffers psychological damage from experience?
The "Big Other" stares and the main anxiety: the p4 field removes the "fourth wall" and exposes each participant to the eyes of others (the Big Other, the Big Other). Such obscuranties, where there is no escape, can greatly stimulate the anxiety of the existence of the subject. As the p4 article says: "The naked encounter always feels helpless again in the eyes of the `Big Other'." While this anxiety is the driving force behind a "real" reaction, it can also lead to defensive retreat or destructive behaviour. To what extent is p4 exploiting this anxiety to achieve its artistic purposes? Where is the border of such exploitation?
In conclusion, p4's pursuit of "real" is a double-edged sword. It gives its artistic practices unparalleled depth and strength, enabling them to reach out to the fundamental dimensions of existence. But at the same time it places it in a dangerous ethical zone. A complete evaluation of p4 must include a sober assessment of its possible "costs". It is not only an art community, but also a psycho-social laboratory where its ethical responsibilities need to be taken seriously.
Conclusion
6.1 Summary of the study: P4 Theater as a relationship tectonic laboratory
Through a systematic theoretical and case analysis, the study has produced a dynamic topography map of P4 Theater ' s 10-year complex practice. Through its appearance of confusion, we went deep into its intrinsic mechanisms of generation and finally revealed its core logic as a radical sample of contemporary experimental art. The central argument of the study is that the fundamental innovation of the p.4 theatre stems from its success in bringing about a paradigm shift from "location" to "relationship". It no longer sees participants as an identity entity that occupies a fixed social "position" - Whether it is an "actor" or an "audience", it is seen as an operational node that constantly generates its own functions in a mobile network of relationships. Here, action precedes identity and connectivity is defined.
In order to dissect the process, we began with a critical retrospect of traditional dramas based on "location", and introduced the Actors' Networking Theory (ANT) as a "mix theory" throughout the whole text, treating the p.4 field as a heterogeneity network of "assembling" between people and non-human actors (space, objects, rules, emotions). On this basis, the study originally proposed a four-dimensional dynamic model of the Architect - NPC - Player - Peeper as a fine analytical tool to track the flow of "translation" processes and functional roles within the network.
Through this theoretical framework, we have clearly demonstrated that the web generation at p4 follows an analytical path: It begins with the foundational "problems" of "architects" through rules, space and recruitment; then with "NPC" as a catalyst to complete the "benefits" of participants by creating events; at the most critical point, individuals are "retarded" as active "players" or "porners" through an intrinsically struggling phenomenon, and eventually, in a complex game of "players", the entire network is "mobilized" and a "intermodal community" within the meaning of Victor Turner, based on shared risk, can emerge in a non-replicable moment.
At the same time, the study does not stop at description and praise. In the critical reflection in chapter IV, we have explored in depth the inherent contradictions and tensions in p4 practice. We have demonstrated how its "failed ethics" constitute a strong resistance to consumerist art; examined the rebirth of a new power relationship based on "architectial" power and community seniority behind its "decentralized" myth; and, through Jacques Lacan's theory, revealed the ethical risks and the psychological costs associated with its commitment to "real".
6.2 Theoretical contributions and research limitations
The theoretical contribution of the study is based on three main aspects
Methodological innovation: This paper provides a comprehensive analytical framework of sociological and philosophical depth beyond traditional aesthetic judgments and description of phenomena for participatory art and experimental theatre research. This framework combines the ambitious vision of ANT with the micro-insight of our original four-dimensional model, demonstrating a possible path of systematic research into complex and mobile artistic practices.
Cross-cutting application and development of theory: By applying ANT to the specific art case of p4, the study not only validates ANT's interpretation in the art field, but also enriches and develops ANT's application strategies through specific tools such as the "Quadron Model".
Promotion of interdisciplinary dialogue: This study consciously combines theoretical resources in theatre theory, sociology (ANT), psychoanalysis (Lacan), anthropology (Turner) and art criticism (Biship) with a view to breaking down the barriers to discipline and exploring new possibilities for artistic research in contemporary theoretical thinking.
At the same time, we must be frank about the limitations of this study. First, due to the limitations of the conditions, the study relies mainly on the analysis of publicly available text materials and the interpretation of second-hand experience, and lacks long-term, in-depth field surveys and participatory observations. This may lead to inadequate analysis of individual experiences of the participants, more of a theoretical evolution. Secondly, the study failed to track the long-term effects of the p4 community after the event - i.e., whether and how this "immediate community" experience was translated into the daily lives of the participants.
These limitations also point the way for future research. Future research, for example, could use a more in-depth national identity approach to examine how the p4 experience affects their social relations and self-awareness by following a group of participants on a permanent basis. Alternatively, a broader comparative study could be undertaken to compare p4 with other national and international community art projects, alternative forms of organization, thus positioning its uniqueness and universality in a broader perspective.
6.3 End: Unfinished social missions in the arts
P4 Theater practice, like its essence, is "generated" and "uncompleted". Its pedagogic exploration is always in dynamic change, rejecting any final definition. That is perhaps its most valuable quality at this time. In a world that is increasingly recommended by algorithms, entrenched by virtual socialization and consumption logic, and "silent", p4 has stubbornly created an "exceptional space" (state of exception), an area that temporarily invalidates modern "iron cages".
Here, "playing" is hidden only to make real encounters possible; "failure" is embraced only to connect vulnerable individuals; and "authority" is questioned only to make co-creation possible. P4 Theater finally revealed to us that the Community is not a distant utopia or a ready-made product that can be purchased. It may be experienced by the fragile and precious realities that we have woven together, with our own hands, when we have bravely given up the sense of security that "location" gives us and put ourselves fully into an unpredictable web of "relations".
This may be the social mission of P4 Theater. It reminds us that art can function much more than aesthetic or entertainment. It can be a social experiment, an ethical practice, an instrument of liberation. It is exploring not only new forms of theatre, but also new ways of connecting "people" to "people". It is an exercise that teaches us how to learn once again "to be together", painful and necessary in this time of fragmentation.
Appendix (appendices)
A. P4 Theater calendar of associated activities
B. Interpretation of key terms
C. Relevant interview records
D.P4 Theater
P4 Theater Founder He Fa Wisdom