The More the Merrier with donna g

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: Dads Belly Button He-r'tz Many Happy Returns Little Eden Mysteries and Lies Gerry's Imaginarium (Fringe KidsFest) Above the Hospital You, Always, Never Link to shows: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/shows Full details: https://...

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. " Und...

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...

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.

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,...

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 Bis...

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.org Music : 'gendah bendah' by dr. d'bi.young an...

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 mo...

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...

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...

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...

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.com Music : 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' b...

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 Bl...

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...

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...

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 fre...

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/about Kelly is a writer, textile artist, and educator/instructor. Their fiction, poetry, and journalism have appeared in places like the Toronto Star, Ideomancer Speculative Fiction, Briarpat...

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