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PROVIDENCE - Toward the end of "Shapeshifter," the new production making what's billed as its world premiere at Trinity Repertory Theatre, I turned to my companion and asked, "Am I high, or was the woman in the yellow dress really a seal?" To which she replied, "She was a seal, a dragon and a swan."

Well, as crazy as that might sound, it somehow works, because this is a story with heart, about how we survive life's toughest blows, and because the Trinity cast is uniformly outstanding, as is often the case.

Set on an isolated Scottish island, the play tells the story of a young girl named Midge who's trying to cope with her mother's death and at the same time hold on to her sanity. The seal-, dragon-, swan-woman, each played by Rachael Warren, are either figments testing Midge's hold on reality or mythical characters who, conjured through the magic of storytelling, do indeed visit the island and change the lives of all who come in contact with them.

"Shapeshifter" actually debuted in February 2007 at the University of Central Florida's Conservatory. An earlier version played at Brown in 2003, as part of a new plays festival.

The play was written by Laura Schellhardt and directed by Laura Kepley, both Brown alumnae, and is derived from a ballad called "The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry," which is from Scotland's Orkney Islands, a place similar to the village depicted in the play. Woven into the narrative are Celtic and Viking legends, to which the natives of these fishing villages traditionally cling to help explain the unexplainable. For instance, when a man is lost at sea, his loved ones believe that he has turned into a seal: In other words, not dead, just occupying a new form. The production moves quickly, running through more than 20 scenes in nine locations in just 90 minutes. There's nary a dull moment, as the play touches on a handful of disparate themes, from the ways in which the heart heals, to our need to tell stories, to the importance of language, to the weight of family history. And I'm sure the work could be parsed for a few gender-related topics, as well.

Early on, the play plants a few mysteries that drive the narrative: How did Midge's mother die, and is the troubled girl doomed to follow in her footsteps? Of the emotionally wounded characters, who will get back on his/her feet? And what will happen to the strange woman who comes from the sea and marries a local man named Tom?

All of these are answered by the final bow, and the denouement of the Midge subplot includes a nifty bit of "Phantom"-like stagecraft, only on a smaller, but no less potent, scale.

There are moments when some unintentional laughs have to be suppressed, like when Rachael Warren, as the seal-woman, angrily lunges seal-like at Joe Wilson Jr. for hunting on the ocean. These two actors go through a few other gyrations that are at times mystifying and other times, as mentioned above, nearly worth a chuckle.

However, these are niggling complaints. The members of this troupe are so convincing they could sell anything.

In short, great storytellers can transport you over even the largest fictional abyss. And, it's quite fitting that the power of storytelling should be so central to this play.

Earning plaudits even beyond those already mentioned are Miriam Silverman as Midge; Anne Scurria as a tart-talking Maud; and Brian McEleney, who weaves the story from the outset. Loy Arcenas' rustic set is pitch perfect, highly flexible, and gets a star turn of its own toward the end.

Meanwhile, the haunting sound by John Gromada makes the magical seem real, with help from lighting by Brian Lilienthal.

In the end, they help "Shapeshifter" weave a cracklin' good yarn.

"Shapeshifter" runs through May 31 in Trinity Rep's Dowling Theater. Tickets start at $20. Call 401-351-4242 or log on to trinityrep.com.