Have you ever wondered why everyone knows who William Shakespeare is?

So many famous lines are repeated from his works even after hundreds of years have passed. He was obviously a great playwright, but there is more to it than that. The reason we know his words so well is probably because, much like the Bible, his works were written down and made into a book.

“The Book of Will,” written by Lauren Gunderson and performed at The Woodland Opera House, is a play that takes place in 1616, three years after Shakespeare has died. A few of the surviving actors from his troupe are in a pub and angry that the new younger actors are performing the bard’s plays but mangling the words and rhythms. Shakespeare’s friends start to worry that his plays may be lost in their original texts and intended forms once they, too, die.

One of the most famous actors, Richard Burbage (Nathan Lacy), schools a young cocky actor (Dante Baldini) by masterfully reciting speeches from some of the many plays he has acted in. After which, thunderous applause erupts in praise, both on the stage and in the audience. The new actors start to fight with the old until the barmaid kicks the young ones out.

The next day, Burbage dies, which leaves the remaining two actors, Henry Condell (Jim Sink) and John Heminges (Robert Payawal), in a hurry to get all of Shakespeare’s works collected and compiled into a book to preserve his legacy. Woodland Opera House, along with Director Cheryl Watson, has brought this play to life with some very impressive acting.

While there is not a lot of conflict in the script, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome in making the dream come true. Throughout the show, the actors endure financial difficulties, trouble finding all of the works and balancing out their home lives with the rush to complete the book. Rebecca Heminges (Ania Mieszkowska) pushes her husband continuously to finish the book above all else. She was captivating! Ralph Crane (Spencer Alexander) was one of the heroes of the story who had secretly copied plays in full to study on his own.

The villain of the story, William Jaggard (Steve Mackay), who the actors believe had made an illegal copy of half of Shakespeare’s works, evolves into an ally as the play unfolds. Particularly poignant was when John Heminges needs to grieve, he goes to the theatre instead of a church. The theatre is a second home for many actors and a place to freely release their pent-up emotions. A good writer should also cause one to feel emotion deeply and to make one feel alive. Payawal excelled at this.

What especially made the play appealing was the many familiar lines from Shakespeare being repeated by each member of the cast. There was a cool special effect of his words being projected near the back of the stage. Witnessing the struggles of the families losing children, friends, husbands and wives while dealing with such hard emotional issues will pull at your heartstrings. There was camaraderie of people working together for a common goal, which created purpose and a sense of accomplishment. Watching this unfold and seeing them succeed gave us a sense of pride and hope for the future. How lovely that now we can enjoy the fruits of their labor!

This production succeeded with wonderful acting, costumes, sets and a step back in time with the author’s and director’s imaginations. “The Book of Will” plays now through March 27, Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are available at WoodlandOperaHouse.org or the box office.