Thora Birch fired from play; dad Jack Birch, porn actor with mom Carol Connors, allegedly threatened other actor

Four days before it was to open Off Broadway, "Dracula" has fired star Thora Birch (above, left), which was to be her New York stage debut. The New York Times reports the play's director, Paul Alexander, said it was because Thora's father Jack Birch threatened one of the other actors during a rehearsal.

Jack Birch and Thora's mother Carol Connors were stars in pornographic movies in the 1970s. Connors is most well-known for "Deep Throat," a famous 1972 porn movie also starring Linda Lovelace.

Jack Birch has been Thora's manager for years and was frequently at the "Dracula" rehearsals without incident. But last Thursday night (Dec. 9) he confronted an actor who was rubbing Thora's back during a scene, which was part of his direction. The production claims Birch threatened the unnamed actor, but Birch says he was merely "trying to convey Thora's discomfort."

The production asked both Birchs to leave the set after meeting Friday morning (Dec. 10). Thora tells the NYT, "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. I'm totally in a state of shock over this, I still can't believe it."

Thora has been replaced by Emily Bridges, her understudy and daughter of actor Beau Bridges. Bridges' role will now be played by Katharine Luckinbill, granddaughter of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.