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12/2/11
11:00 AM
HAILING FROM A SMALL TOWN outside of Dayton didn’t stop David Kabbes from dreaming big. Kabbes, who graduated from Wittenberg University in 2009 with degrees in theater and dance, says that moving to a large city was the obvious next move, but he had two major requirements: It had to sustain his acting career, and it had to be gay-friendly. So Kabbes headed to Columbus, where he began to work for Shadowbox Live, the sketch comedy and musical theater company. Although he continues to perform sporadically with Shadowbox, the bulk of his time is spent shooting regional and national commercials. He’s landed 14 TV and Internet spots in about a year, including the Ohio Lottery, Frito-Lay and Safe Auto Insurance (which aired during the 2011 Super Bowl). “It was when I started performing with Shadowbox Live, performing for audiences of hundreds of people on a regular basis, that I realized that acting wasn’t just something I wanted to do—it’s what I should be doing,� he says. But it was more than Columbus’s thriving creative community that led Kabbes to stay; he credits that to the city’s flourishing gay scene. “Columbus is so welcoming, it’s so accepting,� he says. “Actually, it wasn’t until I came to Columbus that I went to my first Gay Pride festival.� Columbus’s Pride parade and festival is one of the largest in the country, attracting more than 200,000 people to Central Ohio every year, according to Stonewall Columbus. The experience “was surprising to see,� he says. “It was heartwarming to know that not just the GLBT community was there, but friends, family, co-workers, neighbors—everyone was out showing support. It really was a celebration of acceptance.� Regarding why he continues to stay in Columbus, Kabbes’s feelings are simple. “It has heart. Anybody can find whatever they’re looking for here. Any person can move to Columbus and in the first couple weeks meet some really nice people. It’s very familial. We are a community,� he says. “The gay scene here is more than most people would think, considering we’re in Ohio, but whether it’s a hole-in-the-wall bar where everyone’s friends or a downtown club with hundreds of people, there’s something for everyone,� he adds. “And if you can’t find it, you’re not looking hard enough.� —Jon Theiss
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Thank you, Columbus, for 20 Years! Celebrating our 20th Anniversary in 2012. $PNF DFMFCSBUF XJUI VT BRAVO! #FUIFM t )BZEFO 3PBE t BRAVO! $SPTTXPPET t 7BOUBHF %SJWF t BRAVO! -FOOPY t 0MFOUBOHZ 3JWFS 3PBE t
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