Thora Birch - Birch Fired From Dracula

The American Beauty star was preparing to make her New York stage debut as central female character, Lucy Seward, the love interest of Count Dracula, in a preview performance at the Little Shubert Theater on Tuesday (14Dec10).

But producers have decided to unveil the show without her, reports the New York Times.

Director Paul Alexander said Birch was fired because her manager/father, Jack, had threatened another actor during a rehearsal last Thursday night (09Dec10), prompting her dismissal on Friday (10Dec10).

He has denied making any threat.

Meanwhile the actress admits she has been "blindsighted" by her dismissal.

She tells the newspaper, "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."

Birch has been replaced by her understudy, Emily Bridges, the daughter of actor Beau Bridges.

Dracula is scheduled for a 13-week run, starring George Hearn as vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing.