A hero goes in search of her tuba in String and Shadow Puppet Theater’s new outdoor play

String and Shadow Puppet Theater’s “Far Away and Hard to Find,” opening Friday, July 1, combines the troupe’s elaborate puppets with circus arts and live music to tell the story of a bard’s search for her missing tuba.

“It’s an epic quest where the hero visits many lands and meets fantastical creatures. In some ways, it’s like a goofy slapstick version of the ‘Odyssey,’” said Luz Gaxiola, who plays the hero. “The character goes on a wild journey, and bringing that to life is an intense workout for the imagination.”

Gaxiola, who’s appeared in several String and Shadow productions, is well known as a clown and a musician. She’ll put those skills to work in “Far Away,” the most elaborate production yet for the puppet troupe, which began taking its imaginative all-ages shows outdoors in 2020.

“This is definitely the biggest show we’ve ever built,” said String and Shadow founder Emily McHugh, who runs the company with Donald Palardy. “We have at least three five-person puppets in the show. There’s a dragon. There’s a giant. There’s a monstrous city. There’s a giant pop-up book; I think it’s 9 feet tall.”’

“String and Shadow is so incredibly talented,” said Elizabeth Lord, who’s playing a librarian in the show. “Every time I arrived at rehearsal, there was a new puppet creation.

“One of my favorite scenes in this production is the one we refer to as ‘The Muses,’ ” she added. “The combination of the song and majestic puppet creations in this scene take my breath away every time. I’m filled with wonder.”

The show, running through July 24 at the former Calliope Farms in west Olympia, has a bigger cast, too, with Kelsey Magnuson, Eric Sanford, Ellora Indrik Stone and Marlo Winter joining Gaxiola, Lord, McHugh and Palardy.

Francis Brennan, a longtime String and Shadow collaborator, composed original music for the show. Joining Brennan in this year’s band are Eva Leach and Parker, a pianist who performs under a single name.

“We’re going to have a piano outside in the field all summer,” McHugh said. “That’s exciting.”

The show’s rural-ish location was chosen because of planned construction in Olympia’s Lions Park, where the troupe performed 2021’s “Fauna Fantastique.”

The setting is the right one for this production, McHugh said. “It’s this beautiful farm, and there are evergreen trees,” she said. “It’s a whole world that you walk into.”

It’s also quiet, particularly because the show will run on solar power.

The show’s grander scale is thanks in large part to the company’s ongoing residency at Olympia Family Theater, McHugh said. “We’ve been able to dream big and build some things that we couldn’t have attempted before,” she said.

Also supporting the show: a Kickstarter fundraiser and interns Hannah Gorder and Sunny Paguirigan, who built puppets and sets with McHugh, Palardy and Magnuson.

“We met twice a week for the last several months and brought the show to life,” McHugh said. “The show got really big because of it. We were like, ‘Oh, we got so much done today that maybe we could do this other thing.’ ”

‘Far Away and Hard to Find’

• What: String and Shadow Puppet Theater continues its summer tradition of al fresco puppet shows that appeal to all ages.
• When: 7 p.m. Fridays through Sundays through July 24, with matinees at 3 p.m. July 17 and 24.
• Where: 1335 Overhulse Road NW, Olympia. (The property was formerly known as Calliope Farm, but put the address rather than that name into mapping programs.) Parking is limited.
• Tickets: $15-$25 donation suggested, with no one turned away for lack of funds
• More information: https://www.stringandshadow.com
• Also: Bring chairs or a blanket and snacks.