Conrad Yama

Conrad Yama born Kiyoshi Conrad Hamanaka, (October 8, 1919 – March 10, 2010), was an Asian American theatre, film and television actor.

Born and raised in Fresno, California, Hamanaka attended Fresno State after high school, studying speech and psychology. Hamanaka was interned in Jerome, Arkansas during World War II, where he worked on camp newspapers. While in the camp, one of his children caught pneumonia, and another contracted tuberculosis.

Upon his release, Hamanaka moved to Chicago, where, despite being accepted to study psychology at the University of Chicago, Hamanaka took the stage name Conrad Yama, and following a period of training at the Goodman Theatre, pursued an acting career. Some of Yama's first major credits were television appearances in Asian specific roles. Following tours of Teahouse of the August Moon and Auntie Mame, Yama made his first appearance on Broadway in the original production of Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song as Dr. Li, and understudying Keye Luke in the character of Wang Chi Yang. Flower Drum Song was a significant musical because most of the Asian characters were played by Asian American actors, whereas white actors in yellowface makeup was the norm. Later Broadway credits included the musicals I Had a Ball and Pacific Overtures where he played a trio of roles. Yama also appeared in the dramatic play "Plenty", both Off-broadway, at The Public Theatre, and on Broadway after the Public's production transferred. Off-Broadway, Yama originated roles in "Santa Anita '42" at both Playwrights Horizons and the Chelsea Theater, and in Frank Chin's The Year of the Dragon at The American Place Theatre. In the made for TV version of Year of the Dragon, broadcast by PBS as a part of the series Great Performances in 1975, Yama returned as Pa Eng, the father of the protagonist, played by George Takei, who replaced Randall Duk Kim in the leading role. Yama's performance in Pacific Overtures was recorded when the entire production was taped and broadcast on Japanese TV in 1976.

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