Prolific playwright Lauren Gunderson is a national treasure. She excels at bringing historical events (“Silent Sky”) and historical fiction (“Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley”) to life.

Through June 8, Ross Valley Players presents a stunning production of Gunderson’s “The Book of Will,” a riotous tale of a group of Shakespeare’s favorite actors trying to piece together a compendium of the Bard’s works from diverse sources.

It’s a few years after Shakespeare’s death in 1616. His troupe, the King’s Men, spend their days and nights drinking ale, recounting performances good and bad, and regaling each other with spirited quotes from the Bard’s prodigious output. The entire opening scene is a short course in the works of Shakespeare. It’s astounding how many popular adages and clichés still persist in English thanks to his efforts.

The trio of well-intentioned conspirators Henry Condell, John Heminges and Richard Burbage (Fred Pitts, Malcolm Rodgers and Marty Pistone, respectively) discuss how to collect writings dispersed throughout the 17th-century theater community, some of them complete, some partial, some plagiarized, and none of them copyrighted. Scraps of Shakespeare’s work were floating all over the countryside in an age when anyone could copy and publish anything.

The three friends are greatly aided in their quest by smart barmaid Alice Heminges (Jannely Calmell), daughter of John Heminges and his wife Rebecca (Cathleen Riddley). Pistone, a tremendous actor and director, appears onstage for the first time in many years as the blustery, gruff-voiced Burbage, who disappears too soon, but Pistone returns later as the untrustworthy blind publisher W. Jaggard. Sean Mireles Boulton puts in a great performance as Isaac Jaggard, the publisher’s more honest and more reasonable son. Kelly Rinehart is also excellent in two minor roles, as Elizabeth Condell and Emilia.

A comical and intriguing secondary plot is the trio’s effort to convince Shakespeare’s rival Ben Jonson (Michael-Paul Thomsett) to write a preface for the hoped-for folio. Thomsett is tremendous as the boozy, irascible Jonson. Like Pistone, Thomsett is a gifted actor not seen on local stages in quite some time. “The Book of Will” is a nice return for both of them.

Collecting the works of the Bard is only one of many challenges facing the friends. There are also publishing costs. They scramble for money every which way, including borrowing funds that they know they may not be able to repay.

This surprisingly quick-moving show benefits not only from great acting but also from a tremendous set designed by Ron Krempetz and built by Michael Walraven. Costumes by Valera Coble look really authentic — the program variously thanks Marin Shakespeare Co., the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse for their help in this department.

Cathleen Riddley is the only Equity actor in this production, deserving of special credit for her performance of a funeral dirge written for the show by sound designer Billie Cox. Gifted with a gospel-tinged contralto voice, Riddley rivets the audience with her singing. Her character Rebecca Heminges casts off her mortal coil early in the second act, a disappointment for those wishing to see more of her, but Riddley returns later as minor character Anne.

Director Mary Ann Rodgers has done a superb job bringing Gunderson’s encompassing story to the stage. “The Book of Will” is a production that will delight Shakespeare scholars and novices alike. Even if you know little more than “to be or not to be,” it’s a wonderful evening’s entertainment.

Barry Willis is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and president of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. Contact him at barry.m.willis@gmail.com.