The More the Merrier with donna g
The More the Merrier with donna g is a film, theatre and arts-at-large coverage show. Hosted by donna g, it airs Sundays from 1-2pm EST on CIUT 89.5 FM, the campus and community radio station based at the University of Toronto. Episodes explore cinema, stage productions and the wider arts scene, with commentary and interviews aimed at culture lovers. Listeners can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky at @tmtmwithdonnag.
Episodes
tmtm 20 Sept 26 Guests Carolyn Fe & Tanisha Taitt (Aye Caesar) + Suvi West (TIFF26)
Guests: Carolyn Fe and Tanisha Taitt (Aye Caesar) and Sámi screenwriter, director and actor, Suvi West (MÁTTÁRÁHKKÁ)I chat with two-time Dora Award nominee, Betty Mitchell Award nominee, Toronto Theatre Critics’ Award recipient, and 'Aye Caesar' playwright Carolyn Fe, as well as Dora Award nominee and Gina Wilkinson Prize recipient Tanisha Taitt, the play’s director, about Aye Caesar's
tmtm 12 Sept 2026 Ian Bawa and Ang Geck Geck Geck Priscilla at TIFF26
Writer/directors Ian Bawa (Strong Son) and Ang Geck Geck Priscilla (Ah Girl) shares personal information about their debut feature films, screening at The Toronto International Film Festival #TIFF26www.tiff.net
tmtm 06 Sept 26 Toronto International Film Festival 2026
Chatting TIFF26 with Heidy M, arts and culture writer and founder of https://hyemusings.ca/ and cinephiles Gordon Gingras and Anne Gallagher. Plus archival interview from TIFF 2013 with director and screenwriter, Lisa Langdeth about her film 'Hotell' starring Alicia Vikander. Music: 'Soul Rebel' by AMMOYE
tmtm 23 august 2026 Finnish directors Dome Karukoski (The Grump) and Iiris Härmä (Leaving Africa)
Finnish directors Dome Karukoski and Iiris Härmä respectively talk about their films, "The Grump" and "Leaving Africa" in these archival interviews from the Toronto International Film Festival 2014 and Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2015. Music by Jonathan Nvita, a Cogolese-born Toronto-based singer.
tmtm 16 august 2026 Guest: Sharon Marley on her Album FIREBIRD
Sharon Marley, Jamaican, mother, singer and cultural advocate joins me to talk about her album FIREBIRD. The album's sound is a personal reflection of Sharon and may surprise fans of her parents, Rita and Bob Marley.
tmtm 02 august 2026 Guest: Nadine McNulty re: Habari Africa Festival at Harbourfront
Nadine McNulty, Artistic Director of Batuki Music Society and host and producer of CIUT's 'Karibuni' (Sundays from 3-5 pm) joins me to talk about Habari Africa Festival at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen's Quay East in Toronto. The FREE festival is a celebration of diverse African arts and culture running August 7-9th.Then you will hear two Anansi stories from Dr Rita Cox, storytell
tmtm 26 July 2026 Guest: Alex Bird (JUNO nominee) on jazz LEGEND Oliver Jones
Guest: jazz singer, Alex Bird on jazz legend Oliver Jones, musician, composer, arranger, educator (September 11, 1934 – July 22, 2026).
tmtm 19 July 2027 Guests Soprano Denise Williams and the No Strings Theatre team + filmmaker, Lina Rodriquez
Guests: No Strings Theatre + Lina RodriquezSoprano Denise Williams, founding and artistic director of No Strings Theatre, and her team join me to talk about the company’s work supporting teens and emerging artists, along with a bevy of upcoming events and performances in their summer season.Then, an archival TIFF 2014 interview with screenwriter and filmmaker Lina Rodriguez, talking about her film
tmtm 12 july 2026 Guests: Larry Tayler, Writer-In-Residence + SATE on 'The Listening, Music, Myth Memory'
Guests: Larry Tayler + SATEI chat with Larry Tayler about being a writer-in-residence at the historic Macaulay House Museum in Prince Edward County, his process as a writer of gay romance, and the people he encounters.SATE (formerly Saida Baba Talibah) joins me to talk about 'The Listening: Music, Myth, Memory', running July 15–18 at The Vault Creation Lab in Toronto. Directed by Djanet Se
tmtm 28 june 2026 These 9 shows want to see you at Toronto Fringe Festival!
I'm joined by 9 shows each have 5 minutes to share why you should go and see their shows at Toronto Fringe Festival. Will they convince you? Have a listen to:DadsBelly ButtonHe-r'tzMany Happy ReturnsLittle EdenMysteries and LiesGerry's Imaginarium (Fringe KidsFest)Above the HospitalYou, Always, NeverLink to shows: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/showsFull details: https://fringetoront
tmtm 21 june 2026 Guest: Jesse Wente (author, Canada Council for the Arts) on How to Buy a Country docuseries
Jesse Wente joins me to talk about Canada-US relations in Case Joynt's new short form docuseries, How to Buy a Country. The doc will screen June 30, 2026 at the Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor Street W, Toronto), with Jesse, the filmmakers and other stakeholders in attendance for a Question and Answer period following the film. The series then streams on YouTube, starting July 1, 2026."Unders
tmtm 13 june 2026 Focus: Resilience and Love: The Secret Reading Club of Kabul and Birds of War
Resilience and Love: The Secret Reading Club of Kabul and Birds of War, two documentaries that I saw at Hot Docs 2026. The first takes us into the secret reading clubs that Afghan women have formed behind their enclosed doors, reading The Diary of Anne Frank and finding similarities to their own lives under the Taliban. Guests: Directors, Shakiba Abdil and Elina Hirvonen with Impact Producer Sari
tmtm 7 june 20266 Audiobooks for Pride and Indigenous Heritage Month
June is Pride Month and Indigenous History Month. Here is a selection of audiobooks in recognition of both celebrations. The samples end abruptly as they do when you listen to them using the Libby app. You can borrow these books with your college/university student card or your local library card. Have fun and let me know if you added any of these books to your TBR or To Be Listened To list.
tmtm 31 May 2026 Guests: Sámi siblings Johannes, Wilhelmina and Jonathan Vang (Borderline) at ImagineNative Film Festival
Guests: Johannes (Director), Wilhelmina (Writer) and Jonathan (Editor) Vang join me to talk about collaborating on their film Borderline, screening June 4 at ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival. Shifting borders and power are at the heart of this comedic short that has its characters moving to and fro in Norway, Finland, and Sweden.imagineNATIVE runs June 2-7, 2026 (Toronto) and June 8-14, 20
tmtm 24 may 2026 Guest: d'bi.young anitafrika re: shx mami wata & the pxssywitch hunt
What are the lasting impacts of British colonization on Jamaican culture, sexuality, and spirituality? Dr d'bi.young anitafrika (PHD in Theatre and Performance) joins me to discuss how she balances drama and comedy in her one-woman, multi- character, immersive performance in 'shx mami wata & the pxssywitch hunt'.Then a collection of short audio pieces ('Chocolate Orange Biscuit
tmtm 17 may 26 Guest: Carly Beath ED, Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival
Carly Beath, the brand new Executive Director of Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival and I chat about her new role with the festival and shares details about some of the films that caught my eye this year. Plus a creepy old time radio show about what happens when 'The Enormous Radio' begins to take on a life of its own. archive.orgMusic: 'gendah bendah' by dr. d'bi.young anitafri
tmtm 26 April 2026 Guest: Amanda Cordner (How to Catch Creation) + Spoken Word and Music
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
tmtm 19 April 2026 Focus Hot Docs films 'The Sandbox' and 'Let Our Mountains Live' (Sámi culture)
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
tmtm 12 April 2026 Guests: Nekai Foster, Rico King (Nekai Walks) + Sabina Lambert (& Other Concerns)
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
tmtm 28 march 2026 Jade Elektra Top Star Live leads to Pride Stage
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) mo
tmtm 22 march 2026 Oscar, Oscar, Oscar! Who Was Your Winner?
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.
tmtm 8 March 2026 Focus on TO Short Film Festival with Steve Veale, Catherine Dulude and Jimena Ayala
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'
tmtm 1 march 26 Guest: Alexandra McDonald (YOUNGBLOOD)
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
tmtm 22 Feb 2026 Guests: Wendy Jones (Pan Fantasy) + Sistah Lois remembers Calypso Monarch Sheila Lady Pearl Robinson
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
tmtm 15 Feb 26 Guest: Ravyn Wngz "The Black Widow of Burlesque"
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 Bl
tmtm 8 Feb 2026 Guests Tanisha Taitt + Abigail Whitney
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
tmtm 1 feb 26 Guest: Sophia Walker ('Eureka Day') and Fabienne Colas (Toronto Black Film Festival 2026)
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 i
tmtm 18 Jan 26: Steven Elliott Jackson, Playwright 'A Question Of Character' (a Stakes and Embers/Minmar Gaslight production)
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
tmtm 11 Jan 25 Aural Pleasure: audiobooks, music, and spoken word
Aural Pleasure: audiobooks, music, and spoken word
tmtm 4 dec 25 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!
tmtm 28 Dec 25
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 fre
tmtm 21 dec 25 Poetry Rountable Re: Up:Rising: A Collection of Rebellious Imaginings from Authors with Lived Experience of Mental Health & Addictions
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, G
tmtm 7 dec 25 Audiobook Selections
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:)
tmtm 30 Nov 25 Guests: Laurie Evan Fraser and Jacinto Salcedo (Upper Canada Choristers)
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
tmtm 23 Nov 25 Guest Patrick Shannon (dir. SAINTS and WARRIORS)
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 Skide
tmtm 16 Nov 25 Guest: Playwright, Kanika Ambrose (Moonlight Schooner) + Jade Elektra and Sistah Lois (Mingle with The More the Merrier)
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 recordin
tmtm 9 Nov 25 Guests Kanika Ambrose (The Christmas Market) + Marc Starbuck on Film Noir Faves
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
tmtm 2 Nov 25 Reel Asian Film Festival: Min Sook Lee (There are no words) + Timothy Yeung (Finch & Midland)
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
tmtm 26 Oct 25 Topic #TIFF50 Faves & Feelings
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.
tmtm 19 Oct 25 Guest: Volker Bertelmann (Academy Award Winner) on scoring Ballad of a Small Player (#TIFF50) + Michael McGowan, director, Still Mine (#TIFF2012)
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
tmtm 12 Oct 25 Guests Leslie Ann Coles (The Female Eye Film Festival) + J. Christian Hamilton (Indie filmmaker)
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 de
tmtm 5 Oct 25 Guests Jibola Fagbamiye & Conor McCreery (Fela) + TIFF50 coverage w/Karla Badillo (dir. OCA)
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 collab
tmtm 28 sept 25 Guests: Brandon White and Shannon Mills (Theatre of the Damned) + Jade Elektra (CANFAR's doc Stills Here)
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 &
tmtm 21 sept 25 TIFF50 Coverage: Dustin O'Halloran, composer Eleanor the Great + star and filmmakers of A Sámi Wedding
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-winn
tmtm 7 Sept 25 TIFF50 Coverage Guests: Tyler Mackenzie Evans (Sea Star) and Kalainithan Kalaichelvan (Karupy)
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 Pro
tmtm 7 Sept 25 TIFF50 Coverage Guests: Tanya Talaga (Ni-Naadamaadiz Red Power Rising) and Lucía Aleñar Iglesias (Forastera)
Part 1 of #TIFF50 Coverage Guests: Tanya Talaga (Ni-Naadamaadiz Red Power Rising) and Lucía Aleñar Iglesias (Forastera)
tmtm 31 August 25 Guest: Lisa Haller, Atlantic International Film Festival
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.
tmtm 24 august 25 Guest: Brennan Clost (The Legacy of Cloudy Falls, Loathe Thy Neighbor) + Libby and Kanopy offerings
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 theatrica
tmtm 17 august 25 Guests David and Sydney Dacks ,(Intersection Festival) + Spoken Word and Audiobooks
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 Execu
tmtm 10 august 25 Revisiting Favourites from TIFF 2019
Revisiting Favourites from TIFF 2019 with frequent guest, Heidy M, and Daniel Garber of CIUT's Critic's Circle and Cultural Mining.
tmtm 27 July 25 Guest: Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin, dir Angela's Shadow
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) a
tmtm 20 July 25 Jennie Bovard (Pretty Blind) + Suvi West and Anssi Kömi (HOMECOMING)
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
tmtm 6 July 25 Guest: Heidy M on 40 Acres + Alexandra Ramires (dir. Tie(Elo)
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
tmtm 29 June 25 Spotlight on 8 Toronto Fringe Festival productions
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
tmtm 22 June 25 Guest: Heidy Me and I on '28 Years Later' & 'Ballerina' + dir. Daniel Borgman on 'RESIN' (TIFF 2019)
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 Fi
tmtm 15 June 25 TIFF 2019 interviews w/Ricardo Darín (Heroic Losers), Zaidah Bergroth Maria's Paradise) and Grímur Hákonarson (The County)
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 So
tmtm 8 June 25 Guest: Writer/director Christine McLean on her doc 'Dad Bods' (for CBC's The Nature of Things) + Plus 2SLGBT+ Audiobooks
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
tmtm 25 may 25 Guest: Actor David Lopez on being a Swing for the Toronto production of the Tony Award-winning musical, A Strange Loop + Music and Spoken Word
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 pro
tmtm 18 May 25 Inside Out/ Hot Docs Coverage: Colette Johnson-Vosberg (Unlabelled) + Noam Gonick & Justine Pimlott (Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance)
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
tmtm 11 may 25 Hot Docs 2025 Guests: Sinakson Trevor Solway (dir. Sisikakowan: The Blackfoot Man) + Serville Poblete (dir, King's Court)
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
tmtm 4 may 25 Guests: Laurie Evan Fraser and Jacinto Salcedo (Upper Canada Choristers) + Heidy M, Arts and Culture Writer (Hyemusings)
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
tmtm 20 april 25 Guest: Sarah Kambe Holland (Egghead & Twinkie) + Angels in the dark (Wireless Theatre Company Limited)
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. &
tmtm 13 april 25 Guests Nik Sexton and Sean Dalton (SKEET) + Catherine Bourgeois (Cis-characters in search of an author)
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 compa
tmtm 6 april 25 Guest: Alphonso King Jr (aka Jade Elektra aka DJ Relentless) on Top Star Live 2025
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.Late
tmtm 23 march 25 Guests: Karen Chapman (Village Keeper) and Kevin Matthew Wong (Benevolence)
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
tmtm 16 March 25 Guests: Directors Laurie Townsend (A Mother Apart) and Megan Wennberg (Dances with Cranes)
I'm reunited with two documentary filmmakers today. I first interviewed director Laurie Townshend (A Mother Apart) along with her subject Staceyann Chin last year at Hot Docs. In this chat, the spotlight is on Laurie's journey as a filmmaker, the travels of her documentary, and the role of mothering.A Mother Apart follows the journey of award-winning poet and performance artist Staceyann C
tmtm 2 March 25 Guest: Rosamund Small (Performance Review) + A spotlight on Beah Richards (Oscar Nominee, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner)
I chat with playwright and actor Rosamund Small about her latest work, Performance Review, presented by Outside the March Theatre Company. The solo performance explores some of the difficulties women experience in the world of work.Then, I'll have a focus on Beah Richards in her own words. If the name sounds familiar, she is best known to the general public for her Oscar-nominated role as Sidn
tmtm 23 Feb 25 Guest: Abigail Whitney (MacBitches) + Oscar chat with cinephiles Gordon Gingras and Anne Gallagher
I'm welcoming back for the second time actor, playwright, director, and international model Abigail Whitney.The last time she was here, we talked about the show The Noose, written by renowned Haitian playwright Frankétienne, starring Edmond Clark as Polydor and Louco St. Fleur as Pyram—two Haitian men from different social levels living in a small New York apartment during the '80s. The pl
tmtm 16 Feb 25 Guest: Alica Hall, Exec. Dir. Nia Centre for the Arts + Music and Spoken Word by Black Women
Alica Hall, the Executive Director of Nia Centre for the Arts shares some of the incredible programs they offer to Black youth, artists, and the community at large. She’ll also highlight some exciting upcoming events.Plus a Black History Month segment featuring a mix of poetry, dub poetry, spoken word, and music by Black women.
tmtm 9 Feb 25 Guest: Award-winning Actor, Peter Fernandes ("Juicy', Fat Ham) + Audiobooks for Black History Month
Award-winning actor, Peter Fernandes talks about his journey as an actor and playing 'Juicy' in Fat Ham. Fat Ham by James IjamesA Canadian Stage Production Feb 15 - Mar 9, 2025 https://www.canadianstage.com/A bold and hilarious reimagining of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy. Helmed by celebrated Canadian director Philip Akin – who directed last season’s hit production of THE LEHMAN TRILO
tmtm 2 Feb 25 Guest: Illustrator, Deena Pagliarello aka DeenaDraws + Audio Comedy 'Time Travel Inc' (Wireless Theatre Ltd)
Artist, Deena Pagliarello aka Deena Draws joins me to discuss her journey from Fine Arts to Illustration, shares some educational tools for emerging artists in the field, and talks about showcasing her work at Comic Cons.Then another wonderful audio presentation from The Wireless Theatre Company with 'Time Travel Inc' by Peter Davis. A new employee gets some on-the-job training about a ne
tmtm 26 Jan 25 Guests: Director, Alison Duke, Oscar-nominated director Nebojša Slijepčević and a Review of Mike Leigh's Hard Truth
In this episode, I'm joined by director Alison Duke of Oya Media, who shares insights into her work on the documentary Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story. The film explores the life of reggae legend Sister Nancy and dives into the story behind her breakout hit, Bam Bam, the most-sampled reggae song in history.I’ll also talk about the powerful film Hard Truths, written and directed by Mike Leigh a
tmtm 19 Jan 25 Guests: Amélie Martyn (Other Desert Cities) + Dj Relentless (Pink Cinema)
I have back-to-back interviews with Amélie Martyn, a young producer working on the play Other Desert Cities, running from January 22 to February 2, 2025, at Alumnae Theatre.After that, I'll be catching up with Alphonso King Jr. about his new community project, Pink Cinema, a series of screenings of 2SLGBT films curated by popular vote, launching with The Ritz on January 20, 2025. We also tease
tmtm 5 Jan 25 Guests: Soprano Denise Williams (Ahmal and the Night Visitors) + Heidy M on recent films
Soprano, Denise Williams and I chat about the reducing space for the Arts in schools, founding No Strings Theatre to fill the gap and the upcoming concert Ahmal and the Night Visitors on Jan 11, 2025 at Lawrence Park Community Church. Performances at 3pm and 7 pm.Then regular contributor, Heidy M, arts and culture writer and founder of Hyemusings.ca shares her take on Pedro Almodóvar's The Roo
tmtm 29 Dec 24 Guest: Jennifer Adcock on In With the Old (Discovery +) episode The Lunenburg Schoolhouse + Our Miss Brooks (classic radio)
I have the pleasure of chatting with writer/director Jennifer Adcock about Discovery networks' In With the Old, where she chronicles the journey of sibling duo Edward and Kathi Peill as they transform UNESCO's 140-year-old Lunenburg Schoolhouse into modern condo units, all while preserving its rich history and significance to the local community.Then, stick around for an old-time radio epi
tmtm 22 Dec 24 What Are You Watching w guests Neil Armstrong and Anne Gallagher + Gordon Gingras and Heidy M
Christmas/Holiday movies can be anything you choose, according to my guests. Journalist Neil Armstrong discusses the TV series Get Millie Black and revisits the novel Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson. Then, he, Anne Gallagher, and I chat about the various iterations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. After playing It's December, a track by Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks from th
tmtm 15dec24 Guest:Nadine McNulty (Batuki Music Society) on Juno Award-winning Okavango African Orchestra + a Story by Comfort Iyase Ero
Nadine McNulty, the Artistic Director of Batuki Music Society and I discuss the formation of The Juno Award-winning Okavango African Orchestra and their December 20, 2024 concert featuring the Queen of South African music-Lorraine Klaasen, kora virtuoso Diely Mori Tounkara, exceptional tama player Pape Ndiaye, Congolese soulful singer Mis Blandine and accomplished bassist Dally Dominic.Plus I play
tmtm 8 Dec 24 Winter/Holiday Audiobooks from Romance to Thrillers to Biographies
What's going to be your next listen? I play a selection of audiobooks set during Winter/Holiday season and through in a could off new tunes by Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks latest album, Another Christmas Day. Note: audio samples are those offered by the Toronto Public Library's website and includes the name of each work's publisher. No copyright infringement is intended.
tmtm 1 dec 24 Guest: Double Juno Award-Nominee Alex Bird on Another Christmas Day album
Alex Bird of Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks joins me for an engaging conversation about the band's latest album, Another Christmas Day, which beautifully captures both the joy and bittersweet moments of the holiday season. Throughout our chat, you’ll also hear a selection of songs that highlight the diverse emotional range of the album, from playful exuberance to heartfelt nostalgia.The gro
tmtm 17nov24 Blood in the Snow Film Festival BITS w programmer HEIDY M + SUSPENSE! featuring Nancy Kelly as EVE
Arts and Culture writer and Rotten Tomatoes approved critic, Heidy M (hyemusings.ca) joins me to talk about the Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS). Heidy is a programmer for the festival and shares some films and Industry events that will appeal to fans as well as those who wish to know more about genre films and filmmaking.Then sit back and allow your ears to enjoy some old time radio drama w
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