Po Sein

Innovations Po Sein was particularly successful at introducing a variety of stage innovations, by explaining the changes to audience and interacting with them throughout the performance.

Also, he adapted the Buddhist Jataka tales, which had previously been exclusively performed by marionette puppets, for live actors, by creating dances and songs as part of the performance repertoire. Until the late 1800s, it was considered taboo for live actors to depict such sacred stories of the previous lives of the Buddha.

Furthermore, he revolutionized Burmese stagecraft by incorporating a raised stage for dramatic performances, which had been previously confined to marionette theater, which uses a raised platform (hence the name amyint thabin or ).

He modernized the classical dance drama form, zat pwe , by adding variety acts, chorus lines, introducing admission. He was also the first male lead to have intimate onstage interactions with the lead actress, which has since become a norm in couple dances.

Costumes Po Sein is credited with introducing stockings and slippers as part of dancers' costumes; they had previously danced barefoot. Students in Mandalay and Yangon responded by boycotting his performances, forcing him to later apologize.