The More the Merrier with donna g

The first half of the show, I chat with Amanda Cordner (CBC's 'Sort Of') about being a cast member of 'Calling on Creation' by Christina Anderson. We also talk about what creation means to her as well her character, Tami.CALLING ON CREATION opens Thursday, April 30 and runs until May 17th at Soulpepper Theatre (50 Tank House Lane) in Toronto's distillery district. For more information please visit https://www.soulpepper.ca.Music/Spoken Word 'Rise' by Malika Tirolien, 'Gay God' by Ebony Stewart, 'gendah bendah' by Dr d'bi young.anitafrika, Karen Williams 'White People' and 'Love Needs Expression' by Chet Singh. I finish the show with 'Celia' by Son Aché. I didn't get a chance to play the whole song in it's entirety last week. Salsa Queen, Celia Cruz was recently inducted (posthumously) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2026 coverage continues with guests: director, Kenya-Jade Pinto (The Sandbox) and filmmakers (Let the Mountains Live) multi-award winning director, Hävard Bustnes and Johannes Vang, and Sissel Holtan, a reindeer herder.A lawyer, photographer and first-time director, Kenya-Jade and I discuss the million dollar tech industry of migrant and refugee surveillance and the activists working to provide basic human rights to people in need. What does that mean for you and me? You'll want to find out...The Sámi people of Norway won a supreme court decision recognizing their indigenous land rights, so why are herders in North Fosten still fighting against a major wind turbine company that has built hundreds of turbines on reindeer territory? This David and Goliath story reveals the global contractions built into Truth and Reconciliation documents.Music by Son Aché: 'Celia' played in honour of Cuban Salsa Queen, Celia Cruz being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Contact Me: www.ciut.fm/tmtm

Director Rico King (Nekai Walks) and subject Nekai Foster and I chat about Nekai's extraordinary mental and physical journey after the teen's near-fatal shooting in the Jane and Finch area, an underserved, predominantly Black community where lack of services result in a cycle of retaliatory shootings. Screening at Hot Docs 2026 April 24 and 25 at Red Roger's Hot Docs Cinema (Bloor and Bathurst.)Then director, Sabina Olivia Lambert and I talk wallpaper, production values and transitioning Lauren Greenwood's 2019 Toronto Fringe play 'An Atlas, A Necktie & Other Concerns', into the short film, '& Other Concerns.' The short film will commence streaming on CBC GEM's Canadian Reflections on April 16, 2026.

Calling all talented folks and those who think they're talented! Regular guest, Jade Elektra (government name, Alphonso King Jr, aka DJ Relentless) shares how you could win $100 at Top Star Live (starting April 8) with a little help from your friends, and end up with $1000 and a chance to perform on the 2026 Pride Stage! Jade also shares info on Pink Cinema the monthly 2SLGBTQ+ (and allies) movie club and what it was like for a little Black gay boy doing drag in Tampa, Florida (oh, lord she was a mess!) to the Big Apple and Toronto, Canada.

So, what was your highlight at the 98th Annual Academy Awards? Arts and Culture writer Heidy M (hyemusings.ca), and cinephiles Gordon Gingras, Anne Gallagher, and Marc S. agree and disagree on the winners/losers, the production (what went right, what went wrong?) and what we would like to see in Oscar's future.

Focus on T.O. Short Film Festival (March 18-21) with Steve Veale, festival director and filmmakers Catherine Dulude (55 Years Apart) and Jimena Ayala (Homo Plastikus). Tickets: https://paradiseonbloor.comMusic: Tanika Charles 'Parkdale', Ndidi O 'Call Me Queen's, Lynn Olagundoye 'Beautiful', Beautiful Nubia 'Mama Bendel'

Alexandra McDonald and I discuss how she went from taking to the ice when she was a five-year in PEI to landing on the stages of the Toronto International Film Festival (#TIFF50) in Academy Award Nominee, Hubert Davis' YOUNGBLOOD, a reimagining of the 1986 hockey drama.Music: 'In my soul' by Four the Moment, 'Wade in the Water' by Tikki Mercury-Clarke and 'Move Away' by Sheila 'Lady PEARL'S Brereton RobinsonSpoken Word: Imani aka Anne-Marie Woods "Who Am I, Shahaddah Jack " (HER)STORY poem, HannahFlorestthepoet "Your black friend told me to tell you this," Jonisha Lewinson "So I Wait" which I found on the YouTube channel for the United Church of Canada

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) celebrates Black History Month 2026 by recognizing Wendy Jones of Pan Fantasy Steel Orchestra as Canada's Ambassador to Steel Pan Culture.In memoriam: Sistah Lois shares the legacy of Sheila 'Lady Pearl' Robinson, the first woman to win the Canadian Calypso Monarch title.Music: Move Away by Lady Pearl

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) celebrates Black History Month 2026 by recognizing Wendy Jones of Pan Fantasy Steel Orchestra as Canada's Ambassador to Steel Pan Culture.In memoriam: Sistah Lois shares the legacy of Sheila 'Lady Pearl' Robinson, the first woman to win the Canadian Calypso Monarch title.Music: Move Away by Lady Pearl

What does it mean to be "The Black Widow of Burlesque"? I find out the layered implications of this moniker from the "widow" herself, Ravyn Wngz. Ravyn is a Tanzanian, Bermudian, Mohawk, 2Spirit, Queer and Transcendent empowerment storyteller. She is an abolitionist and co-founder of ILL NANA/DiverseCity Dance Company, a queer and trans multiracial dance company, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada, a Canadian Best-Selling Author, and one of the 2021's Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada. She's sparkling and serious and sexy.Can you tell I'm a fan :)

My chat with Tanisha Taitt Artistic Director of Cahoots Theatre and founder of Stakes and Embers Production+ Abigail Whitney actor director producer on her Associate Director role on Eureka Day, the Tony Award-winning play on now at Coalmine Theatre

Happy Black History Month! In 2026, we celebrate a 30-year milestone for this important commemoration, welcoming two remarkable women in stage and film: Sophia Walker and Fabienne Colas. Up first is Sophia Walker, known for her roles in Murdoch Mysteries and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as well as her performances in Dora-nominated plays. Sophia joins us amidst rehearsals to share her journey in acting and her role in the Tony Award-winning comedy Eureka Day, presented by Coalmine Theatre and running until March 1. Afterwards, you'll hear from Fabienne Colas, a Haitian-Canadian actress, producer, and director, who is also a Member of the Order of Canada and founder of several festivals, including the Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax Black Film Festivals. We’ll discuss the upcoming Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF), running from February 11-16. Music: Chatte Chant by Chatta from Phem Phat's Honey Drops, Canada's first all female urban compilation.

How and when can you separate the artist from the art? My chat with renowned playwright, Steven Elliott Jackson about his work A Question of Character."Stakes and Embers in association with Minmar Gaslight presents “A Question Of Character” at the Aki Studio at Native Earth, January 17-25, 2026.Following such critically acclaimed works as the lightning-in-a-bottle The Seat Next To The King and the multi-Dora nominated Three Ordinary Man, playwright Steven Elliott Jackson returns to Toronto with the critically lauded 2025 Hamilton Fringe hit, A Question of Character.In 1977, a film journalist knocks on a door in Paris, eager to interview a famed director whose skill she admires. On the other side of the door, awaiting her arrival, is Leni Riefenstahl. They have time. They have tea. Things go as planned until they don’t in thiunpredictable historical drama, directed by Alice Fox Lundy and featuring Paula Wing and Tanisha Taitt."https://nativeearth.ca/shows/all-shows/a-question-of-characterUntil January 25, 2026

Aural Pleasure: audiobooks, music, and spoken word

I don't often get a chance to play more than one or two selections of music so I'm happy to have the chance to share this curated cross-genre selection of music and spoken word with you. Enjoy!

Today's episode reflects what 'The More the Merrier' is all about: film, theatre, and the arts at large. I've chosen and edited three interviews to share with you. First up is director Nik Sexton and actor Sean Dalton from the film *Skeet*. Then you'll hear from actor David Lopez about what it's like to be a swing in the play *A Strange Loop*. I finish off the show with freelance illustrator Deena Pagliarello talking about how she started her career and what she continues to learn about her chosen field."

Poetry Roundtable re: 'Up:Rising: A Collection of Rebellious Imaginings from Authors with Lived Experience of Mental Health & Addictions'KELLY PFLUG BACK (editor)https://www.textandtextiles.ca/aboutKelly is a writer, textile artist, and educator/instructor. Their fiction, poetry, and journalism have appeared in places like the Toronto Star, Ideomancer Speculative Fiction, Briarpatch, Goblin Fruit, Strange Horizons, and many others. Her first full-length book of poems, The Hammer of Witches, was published with Caitlin Press/Dagger Editions in 2020.NADJA LUBIW-HAZARDhttps://www.nmlhazard.com/copy-of-tizzy-meNadja is the author of the adult novel The Nap-Away Motel, and the children's chapter book Tizzy and Me: Fifteen Ways to Love a Mink. Her short story collection The Life of a Creature, and her second children's chapter book, Tizzy and Me: The Incredible Adventure of Moondog's Eye will both be published in 2026. Her work has been published in numerous Canadian literary magazines including Room, The Fiddlehead, Understorey, Event, Plenitude, Canthius, Prairie Fire, The Dalhousie Review, and The New Quarterly. Prior to turning to full-time writing, Nadja worked as a veterinarian, most recently at the Toronto Humane Society. She is currently working on several picture books about animals, and a second novel, Saving Seraphina. Nadja is a trained creative writing workshop facilitator, and has worked with Firefly Creative Writing, The Writers Collective of Canada, Workman Arts, and CAMH Collaborative Learning College (CLC). She is passionate about the role narrative medicine and storytelling have in healing, especially as it relates to grief. Her CLC workshops focus on pet-loss grief, eco-grief, and the grief of mental illness. Find out more and sign up here. A life-long animal-lover and long-time vegan, her writing often explores themes related to the more-than-human world. She lives with her wife, their two daughters, and a feisty, fluffy cat in Toronto. ALTHEA KNIGHThttps://altheaknight.com/index.php/about-althea/Born in London, England, to Jamaican and West African lineages, Althea Knight is a Canadian poet, artist, and educator living on unceded Algonquin territory in Ottawa. She has led workshops across cultures and communities, nurturing creative practice, self-discovery, and wellness. Her poems and visual art have been featured in galleries, museums, and community spaces, and published in Love Dimensions, Recipes for Sustainability, #WeBelieveSurvivors, and Up:Rising. She continues to create work that witnesses what was silenced, questions inherited narratives, and reclaims and tends what was disrupted across personal, ancestral, structural, and relational life.ALEXANDRA C. YEBOAHhttps://acyeboah.com/Alexandra C. Yeboah is a Brampton-based writer, storyteller and creative facilitator whose work often drifts between the heartfelt and the hilariously human. A quiet observer with a mischievous curiosity, she writes stories exploring identity, discovery, belonging, and life’s awkward corners. Her nonfiction and poetry appear in Back Where I Came From, UpRising, and The Art of Solidarity anthologies. Alexandra is a second-generation Canadian with Jamaican and Ghanaian ancestry who is passionate about people, history, and culture. When not writing or facilitating, Alexandra can be found pretending her life is musical, daydreaming, or writing somewhere outdoorsy or by the light.

Audiobook selections. My TBR list is growing! Help me whittle it down. Have a listen and let me know which ones you've read. I'll take it off my list:)

Conductor, composer and Artistic Director of the Upper Canada Choristers, Laurie Evan Fraser and producer and singer, Jacinto Salcedo (UCC/Cantemos) join me to talk about the joys and sorrows of the holidays and how audiences can take comfort in the inclusivity of UCC's Dec 5 concert, This Little Child. https://www.uppercanadachoristers.org

My chat with director, Nang Ḵ’uulas Patrick Shannon, about his award-winning documentary 'Saints and Warriors' screening November 26, 7pm at the Ted Rogers Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West (at Bathurst). Q&A with director and special guests to follow.TICKETS: $15 www.hotdocs.caABOUT: Set against the sweeping backdrop of Haida Gwaii, the documentary explores two titles: the Skidegate Saints’ quest to defend their All Native Basketball Championship and the community’s fight to reclaim their land and waters, stolen under the Indian Act of 1876. These intertwining battles on and off the court highlight what some might call "a silly game of putting the ball in the hoop" has become a profound tool for political action, community leadership, and cultural survival in Haida Gwaii.

Two-time Dora Award Winner, Kanika Ambrose joins me again to talk about her second play running this month in Toronto, Moonlight Schooner.Then I'm joined by drag performer, Jade Elektra, who hosted my fundraiser 'Mingle with The More the Merrier'. I co-hosted the event and was very happy to have Sistah Lois our my special guest. Thank you John Allan for allowing me to use your recording.

Two-time Dora Award winner (our place, Truth) Kanika Ambrose joins me to talk about her latest play, 'The Christmas Market.'DESCRIPTION: "Far from home, three Caribbean migrant workers carve out a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar—and often unforgiving—landscape...Razor-sharp, funny, and unflinching, The Christmas Market is a powerful exploration of community resilience and the hope created by found family." At Crows Theatre until Nov 30, 2025.CIUT is YOUR radio station and community members area always welcome to share their love of the arts. Marc Starbuck joins me to talk about what attracts him to the film noir genre, a genre he's loved since his boyhood in Nottingham, England to his adulthood in Canada.

Directors Min Sook Lee (There are no words) and Timothy Yeung (Finch & Midland) talk about their respective films screening at the 29th Reel Asian International Film Festival. The festival runs Nov 5 - 15 (in-cinema) and Nov 10 - 17th on-line. www.reelasian.com

Movie lovers Gordon G and Anne Gallagher and I chat about dinner if their highlights of #TIFF50 and share their respective feelings about how the Toronto International Film Festival celebrated its 50th year.

Catching up with Volker Bertelmann, Academy Award-winning composer (All Quiet on the Western Front) about scoring the new Edward Berger film, Ballad of a Small Player, starring Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton and Fela Chen. Revisiting #TIFF2012 with an archival interview with Michael McGowan director, Still Mine, starring Academy Award Nominated actors, James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold. Still Mine is one of my favourite Canadian films. I first saw the film at #TIFF2012 before it was renamed Still Mine upon its release by Mongrel Media.

Resilience is the word that connects my two guests today, Leslie Ann Coles, the founder and executive and artistic director of The Female Eye Film Festival and filmmaker, J. Christian Hamilton, the host of CIUT's Dementia 13. Resilience is the theme emerged from the films programmed at FeFF this year and the word describes Christian who needs to forge ahead with her next film project, while dealing with a shattered wrist and the resulting obstacles to getting her project off the ground.The Female Eye Film Festival runs October 14-19. Full disclosure, CIUT is a sponsor of the festival and I'm doing some behind the Scenes work for the festival. I've interviewed Leslie Ann in previous years when I had no connection to the festival, so this is my usual chat about what audiences can look forward to seeing this year, and what's new at the festival.Christian and I have been programmers at CIUT for years, so I know her work as a DJ and as a host of her psychedelic show Dementia 13, but this was my first time getting to know her as J. Christian Hamilton, filmmaker. Like a fascinating Q and A, I get to share with you her journey and her films, and her GoFundMe appeal for assistance on her latest project, Dogs of Mercy Park.

Full show with an interview I conducted at the Toronto International Film Festival with Mexican director Karla Badillo about her gorgeous and thoughtful film 'Oca,' centered on the female perspective of faith and self-determination. The film had its world premiere in the Discovery section of the festival.But up first, an interview with Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery about their collaboration on the new graphic novel 'Fela: Music is the weapon,' which explores the life of revolutionary Nigerian activist, politician, and father of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti.The graphic novel is available for sale on October 7, with the official launch on October 16 at 7:00 p.m. at 1213 Bathurst Street, Toronto, with the authors in attendance. Tickets are $10, which also acts as a discount toward the purchase of the book. The event is presented by Supafrik and Space Unltd. Check Eventbrite for complete details.BIOS: Jibola Fagbamiye is a Nigerian-born visual artist based in Toronto, Canada. His work, inspired by African history and North American pop culture, has been exhibited in galleries across Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, and Lagos. Jibola illustrated the New York Times bestseller Black AF: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America, Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar, and contributed to IDW's "FULL BLEED Vol.4" anthology. Conor McCreery is a former journalist turned comics scribe. He co-created Kill Shakespeare, has written for Assassin’s Creed, Sherlock Holmes vs Harry Houdini, Adventure Time, Regular Show, and has worked for many of the industry's top publishers including DC, IDW, BOOM!, Titan, and Dark Horse. Karla Badillo is a Mexico City–based director, producer, and screenwriter who graduated from Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica. She wrote and directed the short films Oasis (17) and Sin regresos (19) and has served as producer on Ruido (22) and Eureka (23). Oca (25) is her feature directorial debut.

TALES OF THE DAMNED - Guests: Brandon White and Shannon Mills join me to talk about forming Whitemills Theatre Company and the challenges and delight of creating the immersive Gothic experience Tales of the Damned at the historic Campbell House Museum.Jade Elektra on Legacy Project – STILL HERE Screening (General Admission)CANFAR's first documentary short, Still Here – A Portrait of HIV & Aging, at Cineplex Varsity VIP on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. This documentary features the first-hand lived experiences of Billy Newton-Davis, Jade Elektra, and Trevor Stratton – all of whom have been living with HIV for over 35 years.Event detailsDate: Wednesday, October 1, 2025Time: Doors at 6:45pm, Screening at 7pmLocation: Cineplex Cinemas Varsity & VIP (55 Bloor Street West)Tickets are free for paying Legacy Project members, or $25 for general admission. All ticket sales support CANFAR's national youth awareness program – Sexfluent.Music: A little bit of house by Jade Elektra 🇨🇦

Join me as I reunite with Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer Dustin O'Halloran to discuss his creative process behind the score for Scarlett Johansson's feature film debut, Eleanor the Great, featuring Academy Award nominee June Squibb. Dustin and I first crossed paths at TIFF 2016, where we had an engaging conversation about the film LION, alongside Academy Award-winning composer Volker Bertelmann.Later in the episode, I reconnect with Sara Margrethe Oskal, director of The Tundra Within Me at TIFF 2023, who stars in A Sámi Wedding. I also meet filmmakers Åse Kathrin Vuolab and Pål Jackman. This comedy series, part of TIFF's Primetime program, is set in a Norwegian Sámi community where chaos ensues as Sara's character, Garen, attempts to organize a traditional Sámi wedding for 3,000 guests in just one month, all while facing limited funds and resources.

Tyler Mackenzie Evans joins me to discuss Sea Star, where he focuses on a grown Black Caribbean man overcoming his fear of swimming. Then, Kalainithan Kalaichelvan and I talk about Karupy, a Tamil Canadian film about a 65-year-old woman who has decided she's had enough of her family and life. Both films screen in separate sections of the Toronto International Film Festival's Short Cuts Programme.

Part 1 of #TIFF50 Coverage Guests: Tanya Talaga (Ni-Naadamaadiz Red Power Rising) and Lucía Aleñar Iglesias (Forastera)

Lisa Haller, Interim Executive Director / Director of Programming for the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) joins me to talk about the New Waves and Shorts Programme sections of the festival. Held in Halifax, the AIFF runs from September 10 - 17, 2025, and showcases a diversity of international and domestic films while proudly holding space for films and filmmakers from Atlantic Canada. Post-festival, films will be available in the region for those unable to attend in Nova Scotia. Whether you're planning a vacation in time for the festival or just love film discussions, this show is for you. https://atlanticfilmfestival.ca/ Music selections: Molly Johnson (Boogie Street 🇨🇦), Lillian Allen (Dis ya Mumma Earth 🇨🇦), Four the Moment (In My Soul 🇨🇦), Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (Che Che Cole Makossa), Lorraine KLAASEN (Jolinkomo 🇨🇦), Nubya Garcia (Together is a Beautiful Place to Be) 

The focus of today's show is film. I'll be welcoming dancer, actor, and producer Brennan Clost to my show for the very first time. You might know him from the shows The Next Step and Tiny Pretty Things, but we're going to get into his transition from dancer to his other roles as a movie actor in The Legacy of Cloudy Falls, available now on VOD, and the August 29th Canada-wide theatrical release of Loathe Thy Neighbor, where he is both an actor and producer.Later on in the show, I'll share some film-related audio selections on Libby and Kanopy.Music: 'Crabapples' by Bruce Peninsula

David and Sydney Dacks are chat about 'Radio Active Community' part of the Intersection Festival. The performance takes place on August 30 at 8 PM at Sankofa Square, with the talk happening on August 31 at 3 PM at 918 Bathurst. For more information, please visit https://intersectionfestival.orgDavid Dacks is a Toronto-based advocate of creative music in all its forms. He is currently Executive Director of Labyrinth Music Workshop Ontario and was previously Artistic then Executive Director of renowned experimental venue the Music Gallery from 2011-23. Previously, David was an editor of Exclaim Magazine’s coverage of jazz, R&B, experimental music, reggae, and music from around the world. His has also written for Spinner.com, The Grid, Weird Canada, BlogTO, Paste Magazine, The African Drum and Musicworks. He was a programmer and host at CIUT-FM for 25 years, and produced four documentaries for CBC Radio. As a musician and DJ, he recorded eight albums featuring wild combinations of electronics with dub, cumbia and improvised elements, and ran his own record label. David served on the Toronto Arts Council’s Board of Directors from 2017-23, and was a juror for Polaris Music Prize (Grand Juror, 2011), and Polaris Music Heritage Prize. He currently serves on the board of New Feeling Writers Cooperative.Sydney Dacks is a Toronto and Montreal-based student and up-and-coming video game developer, completing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Sociology at McGill University, graduating this fall. Sydney is passionate about investigating the creative potential of the computer and about using technology for storytelling, and helping artists to execute their creative vision. They have built six video games in Unity and have another two under development. They have participated in several hackathons and Game Jams, winning the best VR Game award in the 2024 McGameJam. They have designed and taught curriculum for childhood coding education, centered on fun and engagement while providing IT support. Sydney is also interested in and has conducted responsible AI research with a focus on algorithmic fairness and data privacy. - INTERSECTION FESTIVALPlus works by Elizabeth Acevedo, Nikita Gill and Sunnah Khan. Music: 'Close' by LAL 🇨🇦

Revisiting Favourites from TIFF 2019 with frequent guest, Heidy M, and Daniel Garber of CIUT's Critic's Circle and Cultural Mining.

Director, Dr Jules Arita Koostachin joins me to talk about her latest film 'Angela's Shadow' screening at the Carlton Cinema for one week only, beginning July 25.Then "pan man" Alvin Rostant joins me to talk about learning the steel pan back in Trinidad when he was 14 years old, his travels around the globe playing pan, writing his book "Carnival is Me" (also a song) and living and working in Australia.

The hilarious, Jennie Bovard joins me to chat about starting in AMI+ tv 's 'Pretty Blind' Canada's first TV show about a blind woman with albinism.Then an archival interview (TIFF 2023) featuring filmmakers Suvi West and Anssi Kömi talking about the repatriation of Sami cultural artifacts from museums back to their original Sami locations in their doc, 'HOMECOMING.' Suvi is Sami and Anssi is Finnish.

Frequent collaborator, Heidy M joins me for a discussion of the film '40 Acres' by R. T. Thorne, starring Danielle Deadwyler and Michael Greyeyes as a couple trying to hold their land and protect their children from cannibalistic outliers in a post-apocalyptic future. Were my expectations too high? Why, when I enjoyed the film, did I expect more from a Black writer/director because he made a film about a Black and Indigenous family?Then Portuguese animator, Alexandra Ramires and I talk about the process involved in making her short film, Tie (Elo). This is an archival interview from TIFF 2020.Music: 'bom feeling' by the late Portuguese singer, Sara Tavares.

They want YOU! These 8 productions tell you why you should go and see their shows at this year's Toronto Fringe Festival. The Fringe is Ontario's largest performance festival with over 100 shows at various venues across the city. My guests today pitch the following shows: alpha, Edgar and the red room, playground, plan v, people suck, pornstar(I), terrible fish, and you me and the highland coo.The Fringe runs July 2 - July 13, 2025 www.fringetoronto.com

Heidy M, creator of hyemusings.ca and frequent collaborator on tmtm joins me to chat about '28 Years Later' and 'Ballerina.' Heidy is an Arts and Culture writer, a programmer at genre festival Blood in the Snow and a Rotten Tomatoes arrived critic. A New Zealander in Denmark? Director Peter Borgman about his film 'RESIN' which screened at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Peter and I talk about working with a Danish crew, his cast and the nightmarish paranoia that overtakes the characters in his film.

Archival Episode: Revisiting TIFF 2019 Guests: Actor, Ricardo Darín ('Herioc Losers', Argentina), Director, Zaidah Bergroth ('Maria's Paradise', Finland) and Director, Grímur Hákonarson ('The County', Iceland)Out of the archives! These interviews originally aired in 2019 when my show was broadcast in the Tuesday overnight spot from 1-2 am. I've added new music by Soca Cypher ('HEAT') and Michie Mee ('Jamaican Funk'). Enjoy!ABOUT THE FILMS:Heroic Losers: Starring Ricardo Darín, this is an Argentinian heist movie that tackles the serious topic of economic recession using humour. It was Argentina's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.Maria's Paradise: Zaidah Bergroth is the director of 'Miami' and 'Tove' (Finland's entry to the Best International film category at the 93rd Academy Award but was not nominated). At TIFF 19 she and I spoke about her film MARIA'S PARADISE about the Finnish Akerblom movement which some called a cult.The County: Grímur Hákonarson (best known for directing 'Rams,' ) and I talk about the making of his film which tells the story of a farm widow who decides to fight against corruption in her community's co-op structure.

Christine McLean is a documentarian, broadcaster and academic based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This is her third episode for CBC's The Nature of Things. Entitled 'Dad Bods', it explores new research into the impact of fatherhood on male physiology.Description: "Scientists have since learned that the more a father is involved, the lower his T levels are. They’ve discovered dads, like moms, experience spikes in other hormones, like oxytocin, the “cuddling hormone”, when interacting with their infants. These changes don’t just show up in fathers, there’s evidence that grandfathers and male parents in same sex couples are impacted. Neuroscientists are now studying how men’s brains are changed by parenthood. “Daddy brain” is a thing!" Christine was head writer on the Science Channel series Mega Marine Machines and the second season of If We Built it Today. She has also directed seven wildlife documentaries for CBC’s Land and Sea. In 2017 she received a Wave Award from Women in Film and Television for her dedication and mentorship in the documentary world.PLUS audiobooks you can download with you library card using the Libby app. I used my Toronto Public library to bring you these samples of 2SLGBT+ audiobooks. Happy Pride! Happy Indigenous Month!

Fundraising is vitally important to keep CIUT 89.5 FM running and to ensure that I can continue to introduce you to fabulous people doing their thing in film, theatre and the arts-at-large. Please DONATE now and be sure to add The More the Merrier as the show you wish to support. I had the pleasure of chatting with actor David Lopez (see credits below) about his role as a swing for the Toronto production of the Tony Award-winning play, A Strange Loop. Don't know what a swing is? Not to worry. David is going to give personal insight into this often publicly overlooked theatrical role and how it relates to him being in A Strange Loop. Due to popular demand the show has been extended until June 8, 2025. www.soulpepper.ca for details and tickets.Four theatre companies came together to co-produce this multiple award winning musical: Crow's Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre, The Musical Stage Company and TO.Live.David Lopez For Soulpepper: Debut Other Theatre: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (YPT), Seussical (YPT, Citadel), The Wild Party, Passing Strange (Musical Stage Co.), The Rocky Horror Show (CanStage, RMTC, STC), High Society (Shaw Festival), The Little Mermaid (Globe Theatre), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (CanStage, Dora Award Nomination), La Cage aux Folles (Neptune Theatre, Merritt Award Nomination), Kinky Boots (Mirvish Productions) Film &Television: Once Upon A Mattress, At The Hotel, Stormy Weather, A Handmaid’s Tale, Workin’ Moms Other: Backup dancer for Patti LaBelle and Katy Perry. Music/Spoken Word: Ebony Stewart 'Gay God' ; d'bi.young anitafrika, 'gendah bendah' ; Jade Elektra 'What a difference a day makes' (performed live at the 2024 Poz-To Awards.

Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival 2025 coverage with Colette Johnson-Vosberg about her film 'Unlabelled.' The film explores the diverse stories of three trans people with some surprising revelations.Hot Docs and Inside Out Films festivals overlap with my interview with director, Noam Gonick and producer, Justine Pimlott about their NFB film 'Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance'. My guests join me to talk about their Hot Docs experience and looking forward to their Inside Out screening.Music: Jade Elektra, 'Basic Bitch'

Today's show features interviews with two National Film Board documentaries recently screened at Hot Docs, the Canadian International Documentary Festival. Both explore masculinity but are set in different parts of the country: director Sinakson Trevor Solway's film 'Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man' is set on a First Nations reserve in Alberta, while director Serville Poblete's short documentary King's Court, featuring subjects Marley Zion Raymond Lawrence, and Stephen ‘SK’ Danso, is set on the basketball courts of St. James Town in Toronto.Music: Ndidi O, 'Inside Looking Out'

Laurie Evan Fraser, artistic director of the Upper Canada Choristers, and singer/poet Jacinto Salcedo, coordinator of Cantemos, join me to discuss their upcoming concert Venezuela Viva, celebrating Venezuelan choral music with African, Spanish, Caribbean, and Indigenous influences. Special guests include composer César Alejandro Carrillo, poet Laura Morales Balza, and La Petite Musicale of Toronto. The concert is on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road, Toronto, with a choral workshop on May 14. For more info: www.uppercanadachoristers.orgFrequent collaborator Heidy M joins me to discuss Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival. Heidy is an arts and culture writer and creator of hyemysings.ca. She is also a programmer for the the genre festival Blood in the Snow and. Rotten Tomato approved movie critic.

Sarah Kambe Holland is the writer and director of a clever coming-of-age teen comedy called Egghead and Twinkie. In the film, Twinkie—freshly out of the closet—talks her best friend, Egghead, into stealing his parents’ car. The two then travel 500 miles to meet the DJ-ing woman who’s been sliding into Twinkie’s DMs. Needless to say, things happen along the way. Available on Demand April 29 (U.S. & Canada)Then 'Angel's in the Dark, an audio drama from the Wireless Theatre Company Limited. This Scrooge meets The Twilight Zone drama is about a boss from hell who may or may not learn for his past actions. Music: 'Aerobics in space' by MayleeTodd

Award-winning director, Nik Sexton and Canadian Screen Award nominee, Sean Dalton (former drummer for The Trews) and I have a good chat about the film SKEET. SYNOPSIS: Fresh out of prison, Billy Skinner (Sean Dalton) returns to his transformed low-income neighborhood, now populated by Syrian refugees. Struggling to overcome his dark past, Billy forges an unexpected bond with Mo (Jay Abdo), a compassionate Syrian immigrant determined to build a better life for his family.Playing for one night only April 16th at the Royal in Toronto. Get your tickets at https://theroyal.to Click on EVENTS. Time: 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.) Location: The Royal Theatre - 608 College St, Toronto, ON Age requirement: +16 TICKETS: $15NEXT STOPS: Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouverhttps://skeetfilm.com/Catherine Bourgeois, Artistic and Executive Director of Montreal's Joe Jack et John Productions joins me to talk about the company and Cispersonnages en quête d'auteurice/Cis-characters in Search of an Author which will run April 24 to 27, 2025 at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave, TorontoSYNOPSIS: Five neurodivergent performers gather in a rehearsal studio to kick off a new creative process. But when they realize they can’t put on the unicorn show they originally envisioned—because, well, they’re not unicorns—they each start pitching ideas to break through the creative block. http://www.passemuraille.ca/ The show is the first collaboration between Théâtre français de Toronto and Théâtre Passe Muraille. All performances are in French with ENGLISH surtitles.Music: Poso Oyo by Naxx Bitota

My featured guest today is the dynamic Alphonso King Jr. Alphonso is an HIV/AIDS activist and public speaker, aka drag queen Jade Elektra and aka DJ Relentless.Alphonso joined me to talk about Top Star Live 2025, his weekly Wednesday evening talent show, but our conversation veered off into other areas of his fascinating life and some interesting and personal LGBT+ history facts came to light.Later on in the show you'll hear a bit more from Alphonso from his appearance on Season 3 of Drag Heels. Music: Live performances by Ackeria Smith (Top Star Live 2024 winner) of "Saving all my Live for you" and Jade Elektra sings "What a difference a day makes" at the historic El Mocambo during the POZ-TO 2025 Awards.

Award-winning writer and director, Karen Chapman shares her journey of making 'Village Keeper', a family drama set in the Lawrence Heights community in Toronto, and why it was important for her to add a sense of hope to the film. 'Village Keeper' focuses on a grieving widow struggling to protect her kids from neighbourhood violence while dealing with her own buried trauma. The film opens in Cineplex Cinemas March 28, 2025.Kevin Matthew Wong is a Hakka Chinese-Canadian theatre creator, dramaturg, facilitator, video artist, and producer. The co-founder of Broadleaf Creative joins me to talk about the world premiere of his work 'Benevolence,' running April 8 - May 4, 2025 at the Tarragon TheatreMusic: 'Home' by Miss Neshama