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You'll Turn The Heads Of History's Stars

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By CARL ORTH, The Suncoast News

Published: October 23, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - Ever dream of meeting Abe Lincoln? George Washington? Or how about Mark Twain or Marie Antoinette?

Chris Dunne wants to make it possible - sort of - with a tourist attraction he's developing called Stars of History.

The artist and filmmaker is building full-size models of American cultural and political icons, along with leading players in world history, that will have microcomputers implanted to give them lifelike movements.

Up to 150 figures could be created in the hope of capitalizing on the millions of visitors who converge on Central Florida.

Think of it as the 21st century offspring of Madame Tussauds and Disney's The Hall of Presidents.

'This is not a wax museum,' Dunne emphasized. 'Their movements are subtle,' such as heads turning and eyes following passers-by.
Infrared motion detectors will make it seem as though they're reacting to guests. Instead of a single computer 'brain' inside the figures, the microprocessors will allow control of movements to be more precise.

Dunne also doesn't want his figures to be confused with the audio-animatronic Washington, Lincoln, Mark Twain and other mechanized men and women of the ages at The Magic Kingdom.

'When an animatronic figure talks, you can tell it's a puppet,' Dunne said.

The walk-through Stars of History will aim for the 'illusion of reality,' he said.

While the exhibit mostly will be populated by politicians, it also could include Beethoven, Vincent van Gogh, Alexander the Great, Ramses the Great of Egypt or Socrates.

African tribal rulers and warrior kings who resisted colonialism could be part of the mix, too.

Dunne envisions one exhibit dedicated to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, in which Duke William of Normandy led his invaders in a bloody clash that cost Saxon King Harold II his life and the crown of England.

'You'd have to go to every historical museum in the country to see all these figures,' said Dunne, who lives in New Port Richey.

He's designing and engineering the prototypes, giving shape to the first four - Lincoln, Washington, Marie Antoinette and van Gogh. That work comes after some serious research, including studying period portraits, written accounts and, if available, life casts and sculptures.

Rough skin texture is then added to the preliminary models, and lighting is tested to reflect conditions in the final exhibit, according to the project's Web site.

After serving their purpose, the models go off to retirement beyond public view.

'State-of-the-art elastic chemical skin is cast from the models with lifelike flesh semitransparency and tone. Unlike traditional wax, the materials will not age, wear or degrade for centuries. Hair and eyelashes are inserted and eyes are installed in the full size figure, duplicating the image and personal presence of these stars of history.'

Dunne honed his craft by creating countless props and models for plays at Richey Suncoast Theatre during the 1990s.

In 1998, he directed a local, low-budget movie, 'Titus Andronicus.' The production, filmed in Tampa, called for several gruesome props such as decapitated heads, which Dunne gleefully rendered in gory detail.

The movie's story is based on Shakespeare's most action-packed and bloodiest play about a vengeful Roman general in ancient Rome.

In 2002, Dunne toyed with creating a marionette theater somewhere on Florida's west coast.

He has also carved figures to sell and to decorate the set of his live 'Sea Chanteyman' performances, which feature traditional nautical-themed ballads, humorous maritime songs and classic sea chanteys.

Then he began to think bigger.

Bankrolling the Stars of History is Joe Redner, the strip club owner and occasional candidate who has branched out to less controversial ventures over the years, such as a fitness gym and a company that rents movie production equipment.

Redner provided the soundstage and paid for the actors, filming and editing for Dunne's 'Titus Andronicus.'

Now Dunne and his backers are scouting for 20,000 square feet along International Drive in Orlando, hoping to share proximity with Sea World and other Central Florida attractions.

He expects to open his museum by fall 2009, after the usual 'soft opening' to work out the kinks.

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