Christopher Highley of Ohio State University speaks with Thomas Dabbs about his recent book on the Blackfriars district in early modern London and also the Blackfriars complex from which the district got its name. Formed as a religious house for Dominican friars, the Blackfriars complex was repurposed during the Henrican Reformation and became the home for several notable theatre initiatives. In the early 17th century the Blackfriars theatre became a venue for Shakespeare and the King’s Men. Highley’s work provides a detailed view of the entire district, including a fresh understanding of the unique and intriguing religious and social features of the Blackfriars neighborhood during the early modern period.