'American Beauty' star Thora Birch has been fired from the Off-Broadway revival of 'Dracula' for which she was rehearsing, the New York Times reports. Adding insult to injury, the actress, who was playing female lead Lucy Steward in the show, was ordered to immediately leave the theater where production was taking place upon learning the news.
According to the play's director, Paul Alexander, the actress' dismissal from the production is unrelated to her performance, but rather the regular presence of her overbearing father at rehearsals.
Thora's father Jack, a former porn star and the actress' current manager, allegedly began causing trouble at the theater last week. The first incident, according to Alexander, involved Jack Birch peering through the window of a set piece at his daughter, who was working onstage. "I couldn't believe my eyes and turned to a crew member and said, 'Is that Jack Birch looking through the window at Thora?'"
The final straw, however, was Mr. Birch's alleged threat to an actor who rubbed the actress' back while rehearsing a scene. The unnamed actor, who insisted that he was simply following Alexander's direction, was reportedly met with aggression by Birch.
According to Alexander, the elder Birch told the actor, "Listen, man, I'm trying to make this easier on you – don't touch her."
Jack Birch contends, "I was trying to convey Thora's discomfort. In no way was I making a threat."
Despite Mr. Birch's assertion, Alexander tells the Times, "I can't have one of my actors in a situation where he is physically threatened by the father of anyone," although he admits, "it was odd to have Jack Birch around so much, but that hadn't really been a problem until Thursday."
The following morning, Alexander met with the show's producers and the group collectively decided to dismiss the actress. The news of Birch's firing was conveyed to Thora by her agent, Steve Glick, who also instructed the actress and her father to leave the theater.
Both the actress and her father claim to have no knowledge of the situation in question. Thora describes herself as being "blindsided" and "in a state of shock" over the firing, saying, "For three weeks I was just doing my thing, and everything I hear was positive, that the work I was doing was wonderful... Maybe it's some kind of misunderstanding. I mean, there had been no tensions, everything was going wonderfully. Then Friday they just asked me to leave the building."
Mr. Birch added, "What I heard was that Paul Alexander felt he was not getting the performance that he wanted from Thora."
Ms. Birch told the Times that she has not decided whether or not she will file a complaint with the Actors' Equity Union or seek legal counsel regarding the situation.
Despite Birch's firing, curtains are scheduled to open on the play's first preview performance at the Little Schubert Theater tonight.
Birch's role will be filled by her understudy, Emily Bridges, daughter of actor Beau Bridges and niece of Oscar winner Jeff. Ms. Bridges is being replaced by actress Katharine Luckinbill, daughter of actors Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill, and granddaughter of small-screen legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
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