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A
recent article in The National Enquirer
declared that Dawn was broke and homeless.
Statements such as "The "Gilligan's
Island" star is struggling to stay
afloat" have confused anyone who knows
Ms. Wells. It is a truly odd statement considering
she has been active in numerous recent stage
productions including Love Letters, Steel
Magnolias and off Broadway in Love, Loss
& What I Wore. She has been seen
regularly as a spokes woman on the MeTV
network, which is re-airing "Gilligan's
Island." Last year, Dawn received the
Elephant Sanctuary Trumpeting Award for
her efforts to support The Elephant Sanctuary,
founded in 1995 and is the nation's largest
natural habitat refuge developed specifically
for African and Asian elephants.
There
is so much more to Dawn Wells than Mary
Ann of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (the longest running
sitcom still showing worldwide in over 30
languages!) A native of Reno, Ms. Wells
represented Nevada in the Miss America pageant
in 1959. She found success in Hollywood
immediately afterward, appearing in such
shows as 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, Bonanza,
and Hawaiian Eye. She was later cast in
the role of a lifetime as Mary Ann in Gilligan’s
Island, beating out 350 other actresses,
including Raquel Welch. She's an actress,
producer, author, spokesperson, journalist,
motivational speaker, teacher, and humanitarian.
She has starred in over 150 tv shows, and
7 motion pictures, and has starred in 60+
theatrical productions across the country
and on The Great White Way.
A
GUIDE TO LIFE: WHAT WOULD MARY ANN DO
(click here
for book jacket)
In
honor of the 50th anniversary of the unexpected
hit series "Gilligan's Island."
Dawn Wells (who portrayed the lovable farm
girl next door, Mary Ann Sommers), released
"A Guide To Life: What Would Mary Ann
Do?" through Taylor Trade Publishing
and Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group,
Inc.
Dawn
wrote about the meaning of the Mary Ann
character and observes the cultural shifts
that have occurred since she was on the
island. From the get-go, the Mary Ann character
was different. She wasn't a Hollywood creation.
She was molded by Dawn, from Dawn. The Character
that was originally listed as "And
the rest" on the credits became the
fan favorite, garnering more fan mail that
even the title character. With over 100,000
fans on her FaceBook page and fan clubs
across the U.S., her following has remained
faithful.
Dawn
says that Mary Ann fits today just as she
fit two generations ago, because she is
timeless. In a world where the industry
and society has been celebrating their "Bad
girls," Mary Ann continues to be, for
many, the breathe of fresh air as the “Good
Girl.”
Pop
culture is too powerful and too pervasive
to be controlled by parents, siblings or
colleagues. It can be confused with reality.
This leaves young people in a vulnerable
position - they have to make decisions that
are normally beyond their maturity. Dawn
discusses decisions we make in life and
even goes straight to the BIG DECISION and
delivers her concept of the meaning of sex.
In
a world of participation trophies, easy
praise, and entitlement attitudes, how do
you define achievement? Dawn describes it
as a journey of failure and learning and
tenacity that requires a constant personal
re-examination of what success really means.
Sample
topics:
- Regarding
men? She loves them! "I don't think
of men as the enemy," says Dawn.
"You have to learn to talk to and
with men. Enough with the gripes about
how he doesn't listen! Maybe you should
try saying it in a listenable way. If
you have a target and you miss every
time you throw something at it, you
need to work on your throw, not the
target." Adding, "If you look
for handsome, you'll find it, but that
might be all you find."
- Manners?
Although she lists some Do's and Don'ts,
an says that "Manners aren't silk
stockings and lifted pinkies. It's about
being selfless. Etiquette is not political
correctness…and vice versa. In fact,
Manners and etiquette are nothing more
than self-censorship."
- Optimism
for Dawn is a way of life, and this
chapter is a prescription for optimism
for the reader. Dawn uses a powerful
personal story of a close friend - his
lifelong, steadfast dedication to overcoming
a handicap - to bring her attitudes
about optimism to life. "Your optimism,
or lack of it, shows. Your little brain
and your Big Brain are both optimists.
There's a difference. One is a wishing
brain. The other is a working brain."
- Fame
and Gossip? Dawn discusses the subjects,
with cautionary advice about both. "The
wrong people are famous today. Fame
without accomplishment is empty,"
suggests Dawn. Adding, "The only
upside about being the target of gossip
is that it means you are the interesting
one. Although, I can't imagine a daily
routine, a daily pastime, that depends
upon what other people do."
- The
allure of being alluring: Dawn offers
useful and down-to-earth tips on developing
a personal style along with heartfelt
advice about what beauty really is.
"Good makeup lets the real you
shine through. Remember, what is trendy
is very different from what is fashionable
and there are some things that should
never, ever come near spandex.
- Family
& Friendship: Dawn explores the
meaning of friends and family using
her own life and her TV life with the
Gilligan's Island castaways as models.
"First of all, your mother is not
always wrong and the very essence of
stupid is experience without learning.
If you are in a room and everybody in
the room is in total agreement with
you, you are probably in the wrong room."
- They
call it The Work Ethic, NOT The Work
Theory: Dawn shares her views on the
joy of working by asking the reader
to imagine herself as a business and
then applying the business principles
that lead to success to herself. "Lets
just say that you are the president,
chief executive officer, chief financial
officer, maintenance department, advertising
director, production department and
chief cook and bottle washer at Myself,
Inc.
- Show
Business: Dawn pulls back the curtain
and talks about breaking into show business.
She stories and offers tips to novices
and then delves into the Gilligan's
Island work week as an example. "The
reason they call it show business is
because it is a business. If you want
to be in the business, treat it like
a business."
- Aging:
Most people loathe aging. Dating at
any age. Getting married. Getting remarried.
"Age is a pre-existing condition,
I don't think you can live every minute
when you are young.
- Thats
a wrap: Dawn ends the book with a discussion
about self-renewal. It's an uplifting
message of optimism and opportunity.
She wraps it up by imagining what Mary
Ann would be today after coming off
the island. "Without gratitude,
you can't stand in awe of the gift of
life. Without gratitude, you can't marvel
at the world, the universe that surrounds
you. Without gratitude, you might start
believing those blessings you count
are created by . . . you. Oh, what a
mistake."
- In
addition, the Photo Album: Pages of
rarely seen shots from Dawn's personal
life, from her long entertainment career,
and from the set of Gilligan's Island
are included throughout the book.
Official
Website
and Facebook
(direct all fan / autograph requests
here)
OFFICIAL
BIOGRAPHY
CLIPS:
If
you would like to receive an advance copy
of the book or to speak with Ms. Wells,
or you require high res photos and updated biography
please send an email to harlan@bhbpr.com
or call 626.296.3757
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