Hard pressed to find a link between a sunny Spanish village and a Newfoundland outport?

That wasn’t a problem for writer Des Walsh, author of Rocking The Cradle. He sets his free adaptation of Federico García Lorca’s stark drama Yerma in a fishing village on the northeast Newfoundland coast.

In the original, the central figure is a barren woman surrounded by childbearing neighbours. Here, she’s Joan, who, two years after her marriage to Vince, stands out as the only childless woman in town.

“She married with the intention of fulfilling her role in the community as a wife and mother,” says Newfoundland actor Ruth Lawrence, who plays the role. “From the start of the show, we see she wants a family. Her determination, in some way, is her tragic flaw; it becomes an obsession.

“Joan looks for answers from her friends and family, never sure whether the problem is her, Vince or circumstances. There’s another man in the picture, Tom, but true to her marriage vows, she won’t turn that way.”

This isn’t the first time the Tarragon’s Richard Rose has directed the story; several years ago he helmed a George Brown Theatre production of Yerma. That experience inspired Rose to approach Walsh to adapt the Lorca.

Coincidentally, Lawrence is a 90s graduate of George Brown, and she sees the tale fitting perfectly in a Newfoundland setting. Warming up to her topic, she munches on cookies she’s brought us for the interview. The effervescent talker will turn her energy in a darker direction onstage.

“Des is a poet, and the musicality of his language suits the geography. He works as a geological editor, so he knows landscape and how to talk about it. The texture of the land comes through in his writing, as does the quality of the wind , the openness of the space and the tightness of a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.”

The show is full of songs, traditional Irish, English and Newfoundland melodies.

“I’ve heard Des sing them; they’re ingrained in our folklore and geography. For Joan, they’re sometimes a source of comfort and sometimes reflect her state of mind.

“Richard’s using them as action pieces, not an opportunity for a character to break into song.”

And speaking of opportunities, Lawrence is delighted that a cast of Newfoundland actors has a chance to bring a play to Toronto. The show premiered at the Resource Centre for the Arts (RCA) Theatre in St. John’s, which has been producing mostly original productions for three decades.

“It’s been great to do the show home and here. Though the story is set in the early 60s, it touches any couple that wants a family.

“I guess that’s why it’s a classic tale no matter where or when it’s set. It still speaks to us .”