Loonies and Toonies: A Canadian Number Book

Loonies and Toonies: A Canadian Number Book — page 9
Located two hours southwest of Toronto the Stratford Theatre is Canada's most famous stage It is dedicated to the work of William Shakespeare but other plays are also staged there When the company began in 1953 the actors per formed in a huge circus tent that stood on four 60 foot poles Theatregoers in the first years remember hearing rain on the canvas and the sound of train whistles from a nearby track The tent was replaced after three years by a permanent building Stratford is a place dedicated to the number four There are four theatres the Festival Theatre 1 824 seats the Avon Theatre 1 093 seats the Tom Patterson Theatre 487 seats and the Studio Theatre 260 seats To alert patrons that the show is about to start four trumpeters play the Festival Fanfare four times before each performance Four was the key number of another great Canadian performance Quebec strongman Louis Cyr's most famous show of strength came in 1891 when wearing a special harness he kept four large draft horses in place while they were urged on by their handlers four