When Terrence McNally died of complications from COVID in early 2020, we lost one of our most prolific and consistent playwrights. Be his focus comedy, drama, musical, opera or something for the screen, McNally always had something interesting to say in the 59 plays, librettos or screenplays he wrote in the last 56 years of his life.

Among his comedies, “It’s Only a Play” stands as one of the funniest, despite rising from the embers of an unqualified 1978 failure called “Broadway, Broadway.” Over the course of the next 36 years, McNally returned to the script again and again, rewriting, restaging, refining and polishing it into something that eventually became one of Broadway’s biggest hits of 2014 and ’15.

Speaking of resilient survivors, Park Square Theatre is celebrating its 50th anniversary, having found its financial footing after a few shaky years. It’s back to presenting a full season at its venue on St. Paul’s Seventh Place, which opened this weekend with McNally’s final finished version of “It’s Only a Play,” an affectionate and hilarious love letter to the art form of theater.

Boasting a cast that features some of the Twin Cities’ most consistently solid performers, it’s an uproarious backstage comedy delivered with rich characterizations and impeccable comic timing. Captained by Park Square’s artistic director, Stephen DiMenna, “It’s Only a Play” skewers and satirizes the stereotypes of Broadway, keeping things careening along at a propulsive clip and leaving laughter in its wake.

The action all takes place at an opening-night post-performance party. Passing through an opulent upstairs bedroom are the play’s producer, author, director and leading lady, joined by a critic, an actor who turned down the play’s lead role, and an aspiring thespian responsible for collecting the guests’ coats on a blizzardy night.

While the A-list personalities keep arriving downstairs — the voluminous name-dropping adds to the fun — these folks are fretting about the impending reviews, as well as worrying about losing a TV series, trying to slow the lead actor’s drug intake, pitching scripts, fighting off a large dog, and dealing with a kleptomaniacal director.

Working on a finely appointed Benjamin Olsen set with a mid-century modern flair and clad in Mathew J. Lefebvre’s elegant costumes, the actors look to be having great fun with these silly sendups of the theatrical milieu.

The relatively calm eye of this whirlwind of activity is Jim Lichtscheidl portraying a droll dear friend of the playwright who nevertheless passed on a part because he thought the script weak. He’s excellent, as is Sally Wingert as a star of the screen and tabloids who’s back on Broadway while on supervised release from law enforcement.

Emily Gunyou Halaas skillfully embodies the producer and party host enmeshed in the obsession with critics’ approval. One such critic has crashed the party, and his nihilistic spirit is made vivid by Warren Bowles.

The author of the play within a play feels like McNally’s stand-in, leaving Sasha Andreev to confront the challenge of holding forth about all that’s wrong with modern Broadway and what was once so great about the Great White Way. He’s an island of earnestness amid this tumultuous zaniness, lending a touch of gravitas to a consistently enjoyable valentine to the theater.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.

‘It’s Only a Play’

When: Through Oct. 19

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Where: Park Square Theatre, 20 W. Seventh Place, St. Paul

Tickets: $65-$15, available at 651-291-7005 or parksquaretheatre.org

Capsule: An uproariously well-executed backstage comedy.

James Hautman of Chaska, Minn., is the winner of the 2025 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with an acrylic painting of three buffleheads, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Sept. 19 in a news release. Hautman emerged as the winner after two days of competition, and the announcement was made at an in-person event and via livestream at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Md.

This Jim Hautman painting of mallards was used on the 1995-96 duck stamp.

Hautman’s artwork will be made into the 2026-2027 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or Duck Stamp, which will go on sale in late June 2026. This is Hautman’s seventh time winning the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. The FWS produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which raises approximately $40 million in sales each year. The funds support conservation of wetland habitats in the National Wildlife Refuge System for the benefit of wildlife and the enjoyment of people, the agency said.

“The stamp created using James’ art will serve as a lasting reminder of our rich waterfowl hunting heritage,” FWS Director Brian Nesvik said in a statement. “I encourage everyone, including those who do not hunt, to buy a Duck Stamp, which raises millions of dollars to conserve wildlife and healthy wetland habitats for waterfowl and numerous other species.”

Thomas E. Miller of Kilkenny, Minn., placed second with an acrylic painting of a cinnamon teal, and Jeffrey Mobley of Tulsa, Okla., took third place with an acrylic painting of a bufflehead, the FWS said.

Since it was established in 1934, the Federal Duck Stamp has raised more than $1.3 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife and provide countless opportunities for wildlife-oriented recreation on our public lands.

Montana artist Chuck Black holds his oil painting of a northern pintail on Aug. 13, 2023. On Sept. 16, 2023, Black was named the winner of the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Black’s oil painting will be made into the 2024-2025 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp” which will go on sale in late June 2024. (Courtesy of Chuck Black)

Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry the current Federal Duck Stamp. Many non-hunters, including birdwatchers, conservationists and stamp collectors, also purchase the stamp in support of habitat conservation. Additionally, a current Federal Duck Stamp can be used for free admission to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee.

Funds raised from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps go toward the acquisition or lease of habitat for the Refuge System. The new areas provide additional public access to some of the most spectacular places available for hunting, fishing, birdwatching, hiking and other outdoor activities, the FWS said.

Of 290 entries judged in this year’s competition, 83 entries made it to the final round of judging. Eligible species for this year’s Federal Duck Stamp Contest were wood duck, gadwall, cinnamon teal, bufflehead and ruddy duck.

The judges for this year’s Federal Duck Stamp Contest were Judy Camuso, Gene Clater, Margie Crisp, Tom Landwehr (a former Minnesota Department of Natural Resources commissioner), Paul Padding and the alternate judge was David Turner.

Chuck Black, a Stillwater, Minn., native and University of North Dakota graduate, won the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with a painting of a northern pintail. He now lives in Montana.

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Their backs against the wall, the Minnesota Lynx showed the heart of a team wanting a championship.

From left to right, Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard, Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack and Lynx forward Alanna Smith battle for the ball during the first half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Samantha Chow)

But a team that led the WNBA standings from the outset and finished with a league-record 34 regular-season wins will not get a chance to compete for the ultimate prize.

The shorthanded Lynx were again dominated in the fourth quarter Sunday night and fell 86-81 to Phoenix in Game 4 of a best-of-five semifinal series. The host Mercury won the final three games, the only time all season Minnesota lost three in a row.

“In pro sports, it doesn’t get any better than what we have in our locker room, and that’s why I’m emotional because we lay it out for each other. … For the people that you love, your sisters, your family this (bleep) hurts,” said Kayla McBride, who had a postseason career-high 31 points, including six 3-pointers. “I wouldn’t trade that locker room for anything. I would feel like this 100 times over to be with the people I’ve been with. That’s why it’s painful, because you want it to keep going.”

Courtney Williams added 17 points and six assists, and Jessica Shepard was thrust into the starting lineup and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Minnesota played without Napheesa Collier, who was on the bench in a walking boot after injuring her ankle in Game 3 in a late collision with Alyssa Thomas. As the players collided, Thomas made a steal, Collier’s ankle turned in an ugly way, and Thomas scored alone on a layup.

DiJonai Carrington #3 and Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx watch warmups before Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs semifinals against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena on Sept. 28, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It ultimately led to coach Cheryl Reeve being suspended by the league for Game 4 for “conduct and comments included aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing a game official on the court, failure to leave the court in a timely manner upon her ejection with 21.8 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, inappropriate comments made to fans when exiting the court, and remarks made in a postgame press conference.”

Associate head coach Eric Thibault was not surprised by the Lynx resiliency.

“I think everybody already knew it about this team, I don’t think they had to prove it tonight, but it’s another example of it. The way we came out to start the game,” he said, referencing early 12-1 and 14-3 leads.

“With everything that’s gone on the past couple days the way these guys came out and played and took their run in the second quarter (24-13 Phoenix) and came out and did the same thing in the second half (30-17 Minnesota in the third quarter). At certain points that’s who you are, and that’s who these guys have been for a long time.”

Minnesota led by 13 going into the final 10 minutes but was outscored 31-13 in the fateful fourth quarter. In the last three games, Phoenix outscored Minnesota 87-43 in the final frame and overtime.

“They switched and they made it hard for us, and we just didn’t get enough quality shots down the stretch,” Thibault said. “We did a good job taking care of the ball, but we got up against the shot clock on a bunch of possessions.”

Phoenix scored 22 of the first 25 points in the quarter for a 77-73 lead. Leading by three, Thomas took advantage of a sleeping defense for a driving layup and an 81-76 advantage with 27 seconds left. The Mercury were 10 of 12 from the field in the fourth quarter.

Treys by the StudBudz — Williams and Natisha Hiedeman — got the Lynx within 84-81 with 5.2 seconds left, but Minnesota got no closer.

McBride made all four of her 3-pointers in the third quarter — Lynx were 6 of 7 as a team — as part of the 30-point frame and a 68-55 Lynx led with 10 minutes to play. It was the highest-scoring quarter of the series for Minnesota.

Minnesota, 3 of 16 in the final frame of Friday’s Game 3, missed nine of its first 10 fourth-quarter shots and finished 5 of 18.

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On Sept. 19, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation that imposes a new $100,000 fee on each H-1B visa that a company applies for.

This change could impact non-U.S. physician recruitment at Mayo Clinic, which applies to sponsor hundreds of potential employees’ H-1B visas each year, per data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

This type of visa allows non-U.S. professionals in specialty occupations to work in the country for up to six years.

Typically, the cost for an employer to sponsor an H-1B visa is $3,380, said Bo Cooper, a Washington, D.C.-based immigration attorney and partner at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy.

“The new $100,000 fee is a big jump, but it does not apply across the board to every H-1B, or every year, as had been initially indicated,” Cooper said. “It is a one-time fee that applies to new petitions filed on or after Sept. 21, 2025, and the government has stated that it doesn’t affect existing H-1B visa holders or extensions with the same employer.”

Mayo Clinic is the third-largest sponsor of H-1B visas in Minnesota; it has had 366 applications approved in 2025 and 390 in 2024.

Mayo Clinic did not respond to email messages from the Post Bulletin.

The University of Minnesota is another big sponsor of H-1B visas, having had 165 approved this year.

“The university is aware of the proclamation and will continue to keep all members of our community who are affected by immigration policies well-informed so they can best navigate their responsibilities in compliance with law and policy,” the university said in a statement. “Recruiting international students and scholars has been and will remain a firm commitment.”

Physicians make up the bulk of Mayo Clinic’s H-1B visa holders, per H1B Grader. In 2025, 153 of Mayo Clinic’s approved H-1B applications were for clinical residents. Non-U.S. doctors must complete a medical residency in the U.S. or Canada in order to practice medicine in the U.S.

On Sept. 22, Bloomberg first reported that the Trump administration may exempt physicians from the $100,000 fee.

“The proclamation does allow for exemptions where the Department of Homeland Security decides the employment is in the U.S. national interest,” Cooper said. “We don’t yet know exactly which roles will qualify, but it’s possible that positions in critical sectors, like health care, could be included, reflecting the continued need for skilled international talent in essential roles.”

But, as previously reported by the Post Bulletin, physicians aren’t the only foreign professionals recruited by Mayo Clinic. Other job titles for H-1B visa holders at Mayo Clinic include research associate, social worker, senior software engineer, nurse anesthetist and more.

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Legal challenges against the new fee are likely, Cooper said, “though it is difficult to predict the result.”

“Congress and the Supreme Court have provided broad leeway to restrict the entry of people or classes of people whose entry (Trump) finds would be detrimental to the interests of the United States,” he continued, “but this proclamation is different in important ways from prior exercises of this authority, and H-1B fees are an area where Congress has already spoken in detail. For now, employers and foreign nationals are watching closely to see how these new rules will play out for high-priority hires.”