Where's the LaBeouf? Not on Broadway anymore, thankfully.

So Shia "where's the" Labeouf has withdrawn From Broadway’s ‘Orphans’ due to irronconileable differences with trained theatre actor Alec Baldwin. Another example of why film and tv actors with little or no stage experience should not get carte blanche offers on Broadway. Screw the finances argument blah blah blah about the need for $tars, etc. Haven't we bleached the Great White Way enough? Dumbed it down to the extent that ahem, Scarjo can star in Tennessee Williams? Look, Broadway will not go away, as a matter of fact, I firmly believe (though I'm in the minority I'm sure) that it would be stronger than ever if there were only quality actors onstage to (pay to) see, whether they be "Name" actors or not. I'm tired of people making excuses for utter lameness, it's insulting to those who work hard and train and know better. All excuses do is exacerbate problems anyway. Let's leave Broadway to experienced theatre professionals shall we, not Hollywood wannabes, or else it's just a sham of a mockery of the art form.

On a side note, now I'll go see Orphans (a play I always wanted to do after seeing Kevin Anderson and Albert Finney in it), I couldn't bare the thought of going before with that smug Shia Pet prancing around. In fact, this is a rare victory today. Shia LaBeouf will not sully Broadway. Yay. Let's rejoice at that.

You can read the NY Times Arts Section article that inspired this mini rant today here.