[It] is almost possible to look on the bright side of Mr. Kanin's "The Live Wire." Almost possible, but not quite. Despite the skill and the gaiety that have gone into it, "The Live Wire" is too random and unsubstantial for complete enjoyment. After the final curtain has fallen, there is a feeling of unfulfillment in terms of the entertainment Mr. Kanin has striven for….

Possibly Mr. Kanin is tired of hearing about "Born Yesterday" now, for it first joggled the town's funny bone in 1946. But it remains his master work. The point of view of "The Live Wire" has the same sardonic relish of roguery (witness the overpowering charlatanism of the actors' agent); but "Born Yesterday" had a pithier theme and the humor was a good deal more accumulative.

"The Live Wire" is the harum-scarum yarn of some indigent actors who are living together in a quonset...