Actress Thora Birch loses off-Broadway debut because of meddling daddy?

[HMG Celebrity News] – In a typically theatrical tale, the lead actress in an off-Broadway version of ‘Dracula,’ Thora Birch has been fired because an actor was rubbing her back. And this has caused more melodrama than you could fit on a stage.

Best known for her roles in “American Beauty” and “Ghost World,” this was to be 28-year old Thora’s debut in New York theater, but the producers fired her just four days before opening night. Now the two sides are trying to spin this as each other’s fault;

The director, Paul Alexander, told the Times that Thora’s work as Dracula’s love interest, Lucy Seward was blameless. But her father, Jack allegedly threatened an actor at a rehearsal last Thursday. Of course, Daddy Birch has denied it.

The story is that Mr. Birch – an ex porn-star who is now Thora’s manager – confronted an actor during a scene with Ms. Birch, and asked the unnamed thespian why he was rubbing Thora’s back. The actor said he’d been told to for the scene. Jack told him to stop and the actor refused, so Daddy Birch then got ugly;

“I’m trying to make this easier on you – don’t touch her,” he’s claimed to have said. But he now denies this;

“I was trying to convey Thora’s discomfort,” Birch has since told the Times. “In no way was I making a threat.”

Meanwhile, the play’s director is quite clear on his version; “I can’t have one of my actors in a situation where he’s physically threatened by the father of anyone.” Alexander insisted.

He then told the play’s bosses he wanted Thora removed – but never mentioned the back-rubbing thing. And with her New York debut so unexpectedly stolen, Thora’s in shreds;

“I’m totally in shock, I still can’t believe it,” she told reporters. “Maybe it’s some misunderstanding. For three weeks everything I heard was positive and going wonderfully. Then Friday they asked me to leave the building.”

Thora has now been replaced by her understudy, Emily Bridges [the daughter of Beau Bridges,] and is now mulling legal action and may file a complaint with the union. But a union rep says no complaint has so far been received.

“Dracula” is due to begin preview performances tonight, then run for 13-weeks at the Little Shubert Theater on West 42nd Street. And an unproven story like this should really help sales… g vb