"On the traditional marionette stage however were we are dealing with captured imagination. That was precisely what Coleridge meant by "that willing suspension of disbelief which constitutes poetic faith" This willing suspension of disbelief is gained not by optical illusion but b the combined resources of literary, musical and marionette arts."
The above-mentioned passage is n excerpt from the book entitled "Burmese Culture" by K, the late famous author U Khin Zaw, Ret. Director of Burma Broadcasting Service (BBS).

It becomes a sophisticated comment for the present-day readers who take great interest in Myanmar marionette.
Sir James George Scott (renowned author Shwe Yoe), a British Civil Service, wrote appreciatively what he experienced Yoke Thay pwe, marionette performance in his famous book _ The Burman, his life and notions _ as follows:

"The elocutionary powers of the performers behind the curtain, the verve and passion of the songs, the accuracy and melody of the recitative, to command success must be at least good, if not better, than the best of what is met within the pwe-waing (the audience). Added to this there is the manual skill implied in moving the strings attached to the heads, limbs and joints of the puppets, which are often exceedingly cleverly manipulated. The national preference for the marionette play is, therefore, not entirely with out justification." 

The simple and complete state statement of marionette presentation made by Shwe Yoe in the early 19th century is still true for the dramatic arts, and the string-crafts in Myanmar marionette remain strictly traditional as handed down from generation to generation. The book published for the exhibition and catalogue organized by the University of California, Los Angeles Museum of Cultural History mentions Asian puppets as the Wall of the World.

As the organizers of the book on Asia puppets say, shadow puppet theatre in Malaysia is seen as the universe in microcosm. The screen upon which the figures appear thus becomes the Wall of the World - a surface upon which gods, demons, and men, natural and supernatural forces all interact. The concept that Asian Puppets represent a microcosm of the universe is also accepted as true in Myanmar traditional puppet theatre.

Myanmar marionette stage is traditionally considered to be the whole world. The process performance of Yoke Thay accords with ancient texts. Adikappa, the treatise on the formation and destruction of the world describes how the world is reformed. In accordance with the treatise, seven suns appear and the whole world burns up at the end of the duration between the world's genesis and its extinction. Then the life-giving rain comes. The sun, the moon and the stars appear in the sky. But then they no longer exist and an extremely heavy rain falls again. As the rain stops, the seven suns reappear and burn up the whole world as well. The lie-giving rain comes too.

The reappearance of the sun, the moon and the stars, the rain, the fire occur alternately. Altogether 64 worlds are destroyed by fire, water and wind. These facts are not included in Buddhist scriptures but have been handed down as predictions of ancient priest endowed with supernatural wisdom. Those concepts later become established cosmological theory and are added in Tika and explanatory works of the Buddhist scripture.

As the process of performing of Yoke Thay accords with ancient texts, the performance opens with the preceding ritual music that represents the destruction of the world by wind, water and fire. To symbolize this, harsh and deafening music is played by Saing-Waing (Myanmar traditional orchestra) three times. After the music of destruction stops, the music of creation of the new world follows. Tihs opening presentation is known as Pwe-Oo-Sin-Taing (the Preceding Ritual Music). Then the music of creation of the new world ushers in a nat votaries whose appearance indicates that a new world has been created. Only an experienced veteran puppeteer can manipulate the nat votaries because this marionette has to perform all dance steps most of which belong to a well-versed female dancer. The nat votaries also pays respect to the stage, the local authorities and the audience so that they may all cooperate in the successful performance.

When the nat votaries goes in, the scene of the Himalayan Forest (Hima-wantagan) appears. The marionette horse is a portrayal of a mythical horse reputed to be able to fly into the clouds. The horse dance is the opening dance of the Himawantagan. And then Myauk (monkey), Bilu (Ogre), Nagaa (Dragon), Galon (Garuda, the great bird), Hsin (Elephant), Kyar (Tiger), Kyettuywe (Parrot),Hngekyi Wunbo (Pelican) and Zaw-Gyi (Alchemist) come out and perform their respective traditional dances to the accompaniment of classical music.

After the scene of the Himalayan Forest, the Court scene and the dance duet come successively according to the traditional process of performance. Finally, the process goes on with Grand Drama or Myanmar Zatgyi which comprises five hundred and fifty jatakas, ten great jatakas, fifty jatakas from the Zimmai Pannatha (fifty Siamese plays) and some jatakas writt