Michael Barakiva

Michael Barakiva is an Armenian-Israeli American theatre director and writer and the artistic director of Cleveland Play House, the country's oldest regional theatre. He became the company's tenth artistic director in December 2023, and in 2026 he directed the world premiere of the musical Freak the Mighty, a co-production with Seattle Rep.

His work has been seen at Primary Stages, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Syracuse Stage and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, as well as the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, where he was artistic director. He is also an award-winning young adult novelist: One Man Guy (2014) was named to the Rainbow List, followed by Hold My Hand (2019) and the fantasy Keepers of the Stones and Stars (2024). His plays include The Nature of Things, String Theory and a two-part adaptation of Milton's Paradise Lost.

Barakiva founded the Leadership Initiative Project, which equips historically excluded artists with the tools to succeed in leadership positions. He has received three Drama League fellowships and the Killian Directing Fellowship at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and he studied at Vassar College and The Juilliard School.