The play deals with the conversations between an aging, mentally ill Black screenwriter, playwright, and poet and his son, also an artist.
The play has a poetic, absurdist style and uses techniques from film, turning a family drama into an avant-garde theatrical piece.
[2] The way Gunn's play is structured also explores the challenge Black artists face in deciding whether to make experimental or more mainstream work.
Black Picture Show was originally performed at the Vivian Beaumont Theater as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival.
[2] The original 1975 production received two nominations at the 29th Tony Awards: Best Featured Actor In A Play for Dick Anthony Williams (also nominated for the Drama Desk Award) and Best Featured Actress In A Play for Linda Miller.