Narcissister

Narcissister is a new stage work by the Brooklyn-based performance artist Narcissister, directed by the playwright Lucas Hnath. Playwrights Horizons, the Off-Broadway company on West 42nd Street, is producing it as a world premiere. The company describes a newly commissioned piece built from an original score, lo-fi magic, visual art and dance. As of October 2026, it is still in development.

The title and the artist share a name. Narcissister appears onstage masked and in a merkin, and she keeps her identity private. Her work sits between art, dance and activism. Her background includes professional dance and commercial art, and over the years she has moved among film, video, collage, sculpture and live performance.

Little is public about how the evening will look. The outline is a mix of movement, visual art, small-scale conjuring and music written for the piece. As of October 2026, Playwrights Horizons lists only the artist and the director. It has not named performers, a composer or designers.

The piece grew out of a commission. In 2025, a grant from the Sir Peter Shaffer Charitable Foundation backed the creation of a new stage piece by Narcissister with Playwrights Horizons, and the company credits a Peter Shaffer Commission for the production itself.

Playwrights Horizons announced the piece on May 28, 2026, as one of nine productions in its 2026–2027 season and beyond. It sits at the far end of that list, in the 2027–2028 plans. The company's page gives the timing as fall 2027 or spring 2028, while Playbill's report of the announcement puts it in spring 2028. As of October 2026, no performance dates have been announced.