In the late seventies, well into his career as a writer and illustrator, Maurice Sendak began designing sets and costumes for the stage, including productions of The Magic Flute, The Nutcracker, and an opera adaptation of Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. Storyboards, sketches, and more from this relatively unheralded portion of his oeuvre comprise the exhibition “Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera and Ballet,” which is on display at The Morgan Library and Museum through October 6. Fans of Sendak’s books will recognize in his theater designs the distinctive creatures and critters that haunt all his work, the unnerving but delightful processions they form, the mischief and wonder—and wildness—alive in their eyes. A selection of images from the show appears below.

“Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera and Ballet” is on view at The Morgan Library and Museum through October 6.