Theater department mourns death of prominent instructor Within months of the death of John Murbach, another respected teacher dies unexpectedly By Ryan Adair Managing/News Editor         Martin de Maat, 52, an artist-in-residence in the Theater department died on Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Cabrini Medical Center in New York, where he was undergoing treatment for pneumonia.         He was best known as the teacher who inspired the careers of “Saturday Night Live” performers Chris Farley, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows, Sean P. Hayes of “Will and Grace” and Kelly Leonard, the producer of Second City.         De Maat, who taught several improvisation and acting classes at Columbia for nearly 14 years, also served as the artistic director for the Second City Training Center, the world-renowned school specializing in the art of improvisation.         Originally from the Chicago area, de Maat took an interest in performing at an early age and exercised his talents in children’s shows under the direction of his aunt, Josephine Foresberg, a well-known improvisation instructor who taught during the inception of Second City.         De Maat began studying improvisation at age 9 and joined Second City as a dishwasher in his late teens. He worked many odd jobs in the box office while taking classes at the center.         Sheldon Patinkin, chair of the Theater department, knew de Maat for over 40 years and worked with him on several occasions, both at Second City and Columbia. He credited de Maat as a teacher who always took the extra time for those in his class.         “Students adored him,” Patinkin said. “He was incredibly kind, supportive, helpful and a real gentleman.”         Susan Osborne-Mott, an instructor in the Theater department, echoed that de Maat always showed continual support for his students.         “Marty took on a very parental role with everyone in his class,” she said. “He was always extremely generous with his students; he really went to bat for them.”         The death of de Maat is the second blow for the Theater department this academic year. In December, during Columbia’s holiday break, John Murbach, another artist-in-residence, who specialized in scenic design and instruction, passed away as well.         Osborne-Mott noted that after losing two prominent members of its faculty, the Theater department is undergoing a period of great shock         “There’s no way to replace these guys,” she said. “People like that don’t come along everyday.”         A memorial service for de Maat was held over the weekend at the Second City Theater. He is survived by his sister Patty. Back to top   |   Home Copyright © 2001, Columbia Chronicle Columbia Chronicle articles, photos, and graphics are the property of the Columbia Chronicle and may not be reproduced or published without written permission from the staff, editors, or faculty advisor. The Columbia Chronicle is a student produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of Columbia College administrators, faculty or students.

February 26, 2001 This week in Campus News: Buddy Guy's still on track, despite delay Theater department mourns death of prominent instructor Columbia alumnus returns to college to screen first feature New staffer to head student government Up-and-coming singer makes special appearance at Columbia Foundation awards scholarship, college matches funds Art & Design department to feature outstanding student work News and Notes Search our archive: The Columbia Chronicle is an award-winning college newspaper written and distributed weekly by the students at Views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Journalism Department or the college. Visit the Columbia College Chicago Web Site