Folger Theater’s production of Henry IV Part I, with its grand design and pedigreed actors, lends itself nicely to marketing such as “Rick Foucheux IS Henry IV” and “FEATURING Delaney Williams as Falstaff.” And while those familiar faces are undeniably excellent, the marquee headline really belongs to a less recognizable actor whose role isn’t quite so flashy: David Graham Jones as Hotspur.

Jones, a D.C. newcomer, is riveting as the ambitious Hotspur, rival to Hal (Tom Story), the prince whose job it is to come of age during the production. With his darting, beady eyes, his snide confidence and his wicked humor, Jones brings to life scenes that could be far less interesting in other hands – when he and his wife (Ellen Adair) quarrel over their separation, it turns into a struggle for dominance, a sexual game. With such an intriguing, multi-dimensional challenger to our king and prince, what befalls the antagonist seems less an inevitable justice and more a shame.

Seriously, isn’t Falstaff supposed to be the scene-stealer in this work? The truth is, Williams is wonderful as the shifty friend of Hal’s who’s confronted with his own cowardice when times become more bleak. The character is among the Bard’s most fascinating, ever the lovable fool, but a man who becomes a challenge not to write off. Williams embraces Falstaff’s antics with gusto, but always seems to be teetering between reform and debauchery.