[6] On April 28, 1942, Mary and Okada were in the first group remanded to Camp Harmony, as part of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, following the signing of Executive Order 9066.

[3][6] Her time as a showgirl helped her start her career on Broadway, where she starred in notable plays such as Street Scene in 1949, House of Flowers in 1954, and The World of Suzie Wong in 1958.

[1][6][3][4][9] In 1975, she starred as Yamato in the Santa Anita '42 play about a Japanese incarceration during World War II that was written by Allan Knee and directed by Steven Robman.

[1][6] Other roles that she had with various traveling theater productions are Bloody Mary in South Pacific, Lady Thiang in The King and I, and Helen Chao in Flower Drum Song.

[6] In 1968, she picketed against the Yellow face casting in New York City Center's remake of The King and I with a sign that read "If Caucasians are given Oriental roles, why doesn't it work both ways?