Will yeast activate with equal I would like to use my artificial sweetener Equal to make yeast rolls. Will the yeast activate? I've never tried anything like this before. I would like to know before I invest in the time, effort and waste of ingredients.
No.  Yeast cannot use Equal (aspartame) to gain caloric energy any more than you can.

How much sugar is your recipe calling for to activate the yeast?  The calories in a teaspoon of sugar are insignificant compared to those in the rest of the ingredients, especially after the yeast has consumed some of them.