Four feisty women air their views on Gayelle’s ‘The Box’

The show is produced by 2 Brown Girls Productions Limited which is the collaborative effort of Isoke Edwards Najeeullah, 28, and Cedriann Martin,28. They told Sunday Newsday that they wanted to produce the kind of show that they would sit down and watch without being bored stiff.

In addition to co-producing the show, Martin is a journalist at the Gayelle TV station. She explained how she came up with idea for The Box: “While working at Gayelle on a current affairs show, it was at the fore front of my mind that my strength is really talking with women about the things that we are concerned about. The point of departure is the The View on ABC.”

She drew similarities in that the hosts are all women of various backgrounds, ethnicities, professions, lifestyles and world views. Martin, though, said that The Box is unique from its counterpart in its structure.

“We really wanted to make it our own in terms of the format of the show. Whereas The View focuses on current affairs and celebrity interviews, The Box focuses on a main issue and applies journalistic skills and elements of theatre to exploring the issue in a comprehensive way. The hosts do not just talk about topics in a trite manner, but they really investigate it. So the idea is to get as many voices as possible into the dialogue while making it interesting. We actually want this show to be engaging.”

In a recent show, The Box addressed the burning issue of sexual reproductive health and rights and HIV positive women who are pregnant. They highlighted the experiences of a pregnant women diagnosed with HIV and they examined how the healthcare system handles this kind of patient and helps to minimise risk and manage their health. A doctor was invited to explain how the transmission of HIV from mother to child can be prevented through treatment. Finally, the women of The Box staged a condom Olympics to see which presenter put it on best and fastest while a nurse from the Family Planning Association judged the competitors closely.

The plans is that every show will begin with some type of theatrical piece that relates to the topic of discussion. The other interesting feature of show is that it is often confessional in nature. If someone is going to join the circle of women, then they have to share something intimate or answer an embarrassing question in order to earn the right to enter the commune.

The Box set is at the Carlton Savannah Hotel, where the hosts are four smart, successful women sharing their views on hot topics. The show is a veritable pelau of personalities.

Explains Martin: “Allyson Hennessy is the stalwart presenter and we are pleased to welcome her back to television. Penelope Spencer is a presenter and is contributing to the writing for theatrical pieces. Sade Selvon Abrahams is a make-up artist and personal assistant. She was born in Trinidad and raised in the UK. Since this show will be aired on SKY 195 we thought it would be a great thread to connect these communities.

Sharda Ramlakhan is an advocate for people with disabilities. Apart from representing herself, she represents a community that we don’t often hear from. So we have a great mix of characteristics and chemistry. So what is emerging is a balanced group with Allyson as the anchor, Penelope as the live wire, Sharda as the sober view and Sade reflecting the 20-something-year-olds.”

Ramlakhan is an accountant who contracted muscular dystrophy in her early 20’s and is the president of the Consortium of Disabilities Organisations. People with disabilities are often portrayed in the media as a vulnerable group, but on The Box Ramlakhan has strong views.

“I have been involved with a lot of charities over the years,” she told Sunday Newsday, “and I have actually been interviewed by Allyson on Community Dateline. It was a complete surprise when she asked me if I would like to be part of the show. Usually someone with a disability is always represented as a pity story. So this is an opportunity to show disabled persons that they can be seen in a positive light.”

The women of The Box have different points of view, but they get to the heart of the matter while maintaining their individuality and offering mutual respect. “This show represents a diverse range of views. But we respect each other’s opinions. I am a purest at heart. So I definitely represent the conservative view,” says Ramlakhan.The Box also visits spots across TT to get public opinion about the issues. This mix of the set and the street gives another dimension to the show.

“It’s so interesting to me, how someone can take a snapshot of a situation,” says Ramlakhan. “Every individual will have their own interpretation. It adds so much energy and humour as well as a dose of reality to the show. The truth is what we talk about on the set of the show, is just an echo of what women are talking about in the homes and offices. So it’s something that women can relate to. Because we talk about the wide spectrum of topics that affects people in their daily lives.”

The show airs three days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10 am and 5 pm. According to Martin, this is not you typical “talking heads” type programme where the panelists wear out the topic with perspectives. Instead of over intellectualising issues, the information is presented in an honest fashion with the hosts giving their opinions on matters.