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Since You Asked: Craterian stage still bears Rogers' name Wednesday Dec 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM When I moved to the valley in 1998, I was surprised to learn about the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater. But now every mention of that theater is The Craterian Center for the Performing Arts. So what happened to poor Ginger? — Bill F., Medford In the mid-'90s, just before you moved to the area, Bill, the Craterian was renamed the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater, according to Executive Director Stephen McCandless. This wrapped up a $5.2 million capital campaign to renovate and remodel the facilities.  "The name change was in consideration of the legacy status of Rogers as a Hollywood star, the fact that she was a resident of Southern Oregon, and that she participated in an event to help kick off the fundraising campaign," McCandless told us in an email. "It was honorary only, and no money or endowment was ever received by the Craterian from the Rogers’ estate (a common misconception)." During the lowest points of the Great Recession, the theater was in dire straits economically. That's when local arts philanthropist James Morrison Collier stepped up and made "the single largest donation to the Craterian in its history," McCandless said. That helped keep things going. Officials renamed the theater in his honor, the Craterian Theater at the Collier Center For the Performing Arts. The Camelot Theatre and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival also bear Collier's name. OSF recently honored him by dubbing their ticket sales center in Ashland the James M. Collier Box Office, and Camelot has the James Morrison Collier Theatre Building in downtown Talent. But just so you know, Ginger's name hasn't left the Craterian entirely. McCandless told us the facility's stage was named in her honor. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.