2002 50C Canadian Festival Series - Stratford Festival

OF SHAKESPEARE AND LITERARY MIGHT

As a multi-cultural nation with ancient societies at its core, Canada is home to a wealth of soul-nourishing festivals that celebrate the past and foster a new vision for the future.  Old traditions from a multitude of nations are combined with modern ideas to create new customs that enrich this nation as a whole.  Canada's festivals amaze, inspire, and delight its residents as well as those who visit.

The greatest English poet and playwright ever known, Shakespeare became synonymous with England.  Why then, couldn't a small Canadian town named after his birthplace come to embody his literary might?  This is the question that Tom Patterson, a Stratford-born journalist presented to Tyrone Guthrie, a British legend in the performing arts.  Guthrie's response - it was well worth a try - and what a triumph that trial was!

In 1953, the Stratford Festival made its debut to thunderous applause.  Canada was stagestruck and the world quickly followed. Today, the Stratford Festival of Canada is North America's largest classicial reportory theatre company and one of the three great classicial theatres of the English-speaking world.  Every year, people from Canada, the US, and 50 other nations come to Straford to savour the very best in theatrical excellence.

Obverse: Crowned Portrait - Queen Elizabeth II

Reverse: Actor and Actress

Specification

Denomination - 50 cents

Alloy - Sterling Silver - Proof

Weight - 9.30g

Diameter - 27.13mm

Edge - Reeded

The coin is encapsulated and presented in the original Royal Canadian Mint multi-coloured printed card folder.