The idea of a theater class for children age 6 to 10 is part of the overall philosophy of Al Canto del Cucù, which is based on teaching Italian by playing. The class provides children with an opportunity to express themselves through the theather pieces they learn while improving their knowledge of idiomatic expressions/cultural traits via a form of art that is appealing and fun for this young audience.

All theater plays are usually based on original works of art by Italian authors and are adapted/simplified for the actual theater performance by the teacher and the children. The first step is selecting a story that is age appropriate, interesting for both genders as well as suited to create a cooperative atmosphere among the children. For example, one of the pieces performed, I Musicanti di Brema, was selected because of the absence of a real protagonist in the story. This allowed all children to feel "equal" by limiting competitions as well as feelings of superiority by any of them.

The course is divided in two semesters with one performance per semester. Once the two stories have been selected, the teacher will re-write them with all children's help to include words that would be easier to learn and use during the actual performance. The story is written with the aid of illustrations, so that children are more stimulated to read it over. Children are encouraged to select their own roles. If two children are interested in the same role, the part is assigned by ballot.

All roles have approximately the same length and are re-written taking into account the importance of guaranteeing a similar degree of participation by all children. The play is never more than 30 minutes, including a few songs.

All classes are divided in two parts: the first half hour is dedicated to rehearsal and the second one to the preparation of the costumes as well as the design of the set. Occasionally, during rehearsal, the children will be videotaped, so they can observe themselves and improve their performance.