Richard Wagner possessed an eminent acting talent but was physically unsuitable for a professional acting career. He compensated for this limitation in several ways: Firstly, he enjoyed reading and singing dramatic texts aloud. Secondly, he worked as a director, being the first director in the modern sense. Thirdly, he elevated the theatrical presentation of his time—both its acoustic component, the art of speaking, and its visual aspect, the actor's gestures—within his music. To substantiate these theses, for the first time, Wagner's entire dramatic vocal oeuvre is analyzed, all documented productions of Wagner are reconstructed, his theoretical writings are evaluated from this perspective, and to outline his profile as a theater recipient, all recorded theater visits of Wagner are compiled.