Since accepting the role in 2004 as the Cleveland Play House's eighth artistic director, Bloom has launched the multi-disciplinary arts festival FusionFest; aided in increasing subscriptions by 20 percent; collaborated with the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland and the Humana Festival of New American Plays; and launched the Cleveland Play House's commission program, The Centennial Project: Nurturing the Next 100 Years.

Cleveland Play House board chairmen Peter A. Kuhn said in a statement, "Michael has graciously and enthusiastically agreed to extend his contract with the Cleveland Play House through June 2011. We are thrilled to have his vision and leadership with our theatre extended for these years. He has built the quality of performances at the Play House to a new level. Michael has a vision for The Cleveland Play House to be a top tier contemporary theatre. We are simply delighted to have him lead us toward that vision."

"Given the community's positive response to our progress, I'm very pleased to continue to build on our success and to serve a forward-looking board," Bloom responded in a statement.

As artistic director, Bloom has staged Lincolnesque, Rabbit Hole, A Streetcar Named Desire and Well and will helm the upcoming 2008-2009 productions of The Glass Menagerie and Heaven's My Destination. Bloom has also been invited to direct Howard Korder's Sea of Tranquility at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego.

For more information about Cleveland Play House, visit www.clevelandplayhouse.com.