Mayor Max For President
Summer / Autumn 2024
A co-created play for and about the town of Idyllwild, California. I began researching Mayor Max in 2023, and first visited him that September. I conducted interviews and assisted in Mayoral Duties. One year later, I returned to Idyllwild with a one-man show detailing the history of this extraordinary dog and what the future might look like if he was in charge.
Performed a fortnight before 2024’s Presidential Election, ‘Mayor Max for President’ is a show about politics big and small; how the world might be if we live by the Golden (Retriever) Rule.
Over the previous Summer, I used my interviews from 2023 as the starting point for a story which addresses how Mayor Max was elected, the good he has done in the community and why his owners, Phyllis and Glenn, choose to continue their voluntary public service. I also asked the townspeople of Idyllwild how they would ideally want America to look in the future and what kind of leader could help realise those dreams.
The show was staged at Idyllwild Town Hall and was free to attend. Prior to the performances, I ran free Creative Writing workshops, teaching locals and tourists how to write their own short plays.
In Mayor Max’s 2025 calendar, there is a double page spread all about ‘Mayor Max for President’. You can read it here :
Mayor Max Instagram Post “Come along to a free event at Idyllwild Town Hall”
Mayor Max Instagram Post “This is just a reminder that you are invited”
Mayor Max Instagram Post “On Friday evening, we attended a play at Town Hall”
“On Friday evening, we attended a play at Town Hall. The play was about me, and called Mayor Max for President. Phyllis said the play was very touching and made a big impact upon her. It was very special and that she will see it again tonight.
To any one that sees this, it is a very fun, interesting, and unique experience. We hope to see you at tonight’s play.
Alex reports the score of the World Series game throughout the 40-minute play.
Phyllis has always been a passionate humanitarian and animal rights activist. The play has reminded her of her work in this regard, and she has resolved to work even harder to help mankind. The play went right to her heart, and she said she is a better person for having seen it.
Thank you, Alex, for this extraordinary gift. It was an unexpected surprise.
We hope to see you at tonight’s play at 7 PM at Town Hall. You are invited. Meadow and I will be there to greet you starting at 6:30 PM.”
- Mayor Max (Phyllis Mueller)“High creativity in the manner of telling the story. Excellent writing. Excellent diction. Excellent enunciation. Excellent pace of speech. Fantastic research. Great references to others' quotations and historical events or situations. Great stage and personal presence: present, in communication, upbeat, outgoing, personable, charming, intelligent. True art.”
- Glenn Warren“Yes, he really did his research! That was better than watching the World Series! A special bit of theatre and love was let loose like a butterfly plague.”
- Sebastian Vale, Local Artist
Here is the section I wrote for the 2025 Calendar From the Office of the Mayor of Idyllwild :
“Firstly, I'd like to say what an honour it is to be included in this calendar. As you can tell by my spelling of ‘honour’ in the previous sentence - I'm not from the States!
I travelled from the UK to Idyllwild in 2023 with the intention of writing a piece of theatre about Mayor Max, informing everyone I spoke to that I would eventually return to perform the show. One year later, I fulfilled that promise.
'Mayor Max For President' was performed at Idyllwild Town Hall on the 25th and 26th October 2024. The presidential angle wasn't just picked due to the play's proximity to an election; you can go to the comments section of most Max posts and find fans repeating this proposition over many, many years. So many that Phyllis has been writing a book called 'Mayor Max : If I Were President'. Discussing this concept was a great source of inspiration for me when deciding how best to tell the story.
I would like to thank Phyllis and Glenn, who have been amazing in every respect. Their kindness, honesty and positive energy has made this project possible. I'm so glad that they enjoyed the play and hope that they feel it reflected the values of the Mayors and the town.
I also want to thank Rick and Stacy for the hospitality and helpfulness they showed me during both of my trips up the mountain. There isn't enough space on this page to thank everyone else who assisted me or agreed to be interviewed. Please know that I am incredibly grateful to you all.
Finally, I'd like to thank you - the reader - for reading the calendar! If this happens to be your first time doing so, I implore you to go to the Mayor Max website and discover an archive of antecedent issues. They are brilliant! It's an honour to be a part of this one!”
Here are some photos from my visit to Idyllwild in 2023 :
