s t a g e l i f e
Love Hurts
By Gwenyfar Rohler
“You weren’t fine when I made jokes about
how you love Pepper more than me,” Beth Raynor comments to her boyfriend and comedy partner, Anthony Corvino. “That’s where the line is. I can talk about our sex life, but I can’t talk about the dog.”
As regulars at the stand-up shows here in Wilmington, Anthony Corvino and Beth Raynor have developed a style of comedy that would make George Burns and Gracie Allen blush. Truth be told, it’s a bit like couple’s therapy with a roomful of people squirming in their seats, watching. Raynor has no problem whatsoever discussing their sex life or any other aspect of their relationship in intimate and graphic detail. In this day and age, that wouldn’t be shocking except that: a) Wilmington is a small town and we actually know these people; b) She’s incredibly beautiful in a very little-girl-sort-of-way, so it’s unsettling to hear her describe things you normally would only tell your best friend in the strictest confidence, to a roomful of people; and
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Salt • Februar y 2014
c) Her boyfriend, Anthony Corvino, the man she is talking about, is standing right there. It is so uncomfortable it provokes laughter. Naturally, when Corvino gets the microphone back, he must defend himself and tell his side of the story, with Raynor in the audience. Even more awkward. It’s a recipe for comedic success, and local audiences can’t get enough of this pair. “She’s half my act,” Corvino confirms. “The better half.” Raynor and Corvino are probably best recognized for their work as standup comedians, but they met in their other roles: as actors. TheatreNOW, the dinner theater space on Dock Street, had just opened and they were both cast in the inaugural show. Corvino blends his classic Italian heritage with an introspective, gentle nature and a physical goofiness that is infectious. “I saw him at call back auditions, and I said to myself, ‘He better get cast, he is so funny,’” Beth recalls. “At the first read-through he was the only person I didn’t know — ” “And most everyone thought I was gay,” Anthony interrupts. He finally asked her out after opening night. “I told myself that he didn’t really like me, it was just coincidence . . . we just talked and it was so easy,” Raynor laughs. “Then he kissed me!” Rising to defend himself, Corvino interjects, “She was trying to get me into the sack. I am not that type of man. I need to wait.” The Art & Soul of Wilmington
Photograph by Mark steelman
But Raynor and Corvino are definitely funnier together than apart