Alva Rogers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alva Rogers
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| Born | 1959 (age 65–66) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Occupation | Writer Performer Actress |
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Notable work
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Daughters of the Dust School Daze ''The Doll Plays'' Band of Susans |
Alva Rogers (born 1959) is an American artist. She writes plays, creates music, acts, and sings. She is also an arts educator. Rogers is known for using dolls and puppets in her creative projects. She played Eula Peazant in the 1991 film Daughters of the Dust. She was also a singer for the band Band of Susans.
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Growing Up and Education
Alva Rogers was born and grew up in New York City. She went to The High School of Music & Art, where she focused on singing. She later earned a degree in American history from Marietta College.
Rogers continued her studies in the arts. She earned a master's degree in musical theater writing from Tisch School of the Arts. She also has a master's degree in writing from Brown University. Later, she earned a master's degree in teaching history from Bard College.
Alva Rogers' Career
Alva Rogers has worked on many interesting projects. She has collaborated with other artists and appeared in films.
Art Projects
Rogers has been part of several important art groups and shows.
Rodeo Caldonia Art Group
From 1985 to 1989, Alva Rogers helped start Rodeo Caldonia. This was a group of Black women artists in Fort Greene, New York. Famous artists like Lorna Simpson and Chakaia Booker were also part of this group.
With Lisa Jones, another member of Rodeo Caldonia, Rogers wrote radio plays. These plays were called Aunt Aida's Hand, Stained, and Ethnic Cleansing. They were broadcast on National Public Radio.
In 2017, Alva Rogers' work with Rodeo Caldonia was shown at the Brooklyn Museum. The exhibition was called We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965–1985.
Puppetry and Music
Alva Rogers has used puppets in her art. She worked with puppeteer Heather Henson and composer Bruce Monroe. Together, they created three musicals: nightbathing, mermaid, and Sunday.
Rogers also made audio recordings for an artist named Whitfield Lovell. These recordings were part of his art piece called Whispers from the Walls.
Other Creative Work
In the late 1980s, Rogers was a singer for the alternative rock band Band of Susans. She sang on their first album, Hope Against Hope.
Alva Rogers was featured on the cover of Essence Magazine in 1993. She has also been photographed by well-known photographers like Lyle Ashton Harris and Dawoud Bey.
In 2011, she was a writer-in-residence at Hedgebrook. This is a special place for women playwrights in Washington state.
Acting Roles
Alva Rogers has acted in several films.
School Daze (1988)
In 1988, Rogers played Doris Witherspoon in Spike Lee's film, School Daze. This movie was about life at HBCUs. Many of the actors and crew were African American.
Daughters of the Dust (1991)
In 1991, Rogers appeared in Julie Dash's film Daughters of the Dust. The movie is set in 1902 and tells the story of a family during the Great Migration. This film has been said to influence Beyonce's 2016 album Lemonade.
Other Films
Rogers appeared as herself in the film Brooklyn Boheme (2011). This documentary showed the Black Arts Movement in Fort Greene during the 1980s and 1990s. She was also in Kerry James Marshall's film The Doppler Incident (1997).
Filmography
- 1988: School Daze – played Doris Witherspoon
- 1991: Daughters of the Dust – played Eula Peazant
- 1994: Fresh Kill – played a Cello player
- 2005: The Flooded Playground (Video short) – played The Singing Tree
- 2010: Window on Your Present – played Girl On Shoulders
- 2011: Spirits of Rebellion: Black Film at UCLA (Documentary) – played Eula Peazant
- 2012: Brooklyn Boheme (Documentary) – played herself
Awards and Grants
Alva Rogers has received many awards and grants for her work. These include grants from the Jim Henson Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. She also received a fellowship in playwriting from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2004. The Rockefeller Foundation has also given her grants.
Images for kids
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Alva Rogers
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Alva Rodgers' journal, shown at the Brooklyn Museum
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Alva Rogers, known for her "Doll Plays"
