Young Conservatory Players Take the Holidays Off : Youth theater: The SCR troupe typically opens its subscription series in December, but its director is taking a one-year hiatus.

“Christmas Carols” and “Nutcrackers” abound right now, but if you’ve noticed something amiss in this month’s family entertainment lineup, you’re right.

South Coast Repertory’s Young Conservatory Players, which typically opens its youth theater subscription series in December, isn’t doing a show this month.

The reason? SCR’s longtime Young Conservatory director, Diane Doyle, has taken a one-year hiatus. In her absence, SCR administrators have trimmed YCP’s 1994-95 season.

YCP will present a family show for a two-weekend run in early June on SCR’s Second Stage; the title of that work has not been announced. In addition, advanced Young Conservatory students plan to perform during Imagination Celebration, April 22 to May 7. SCR’s 1994-95 Educational Touring Production, “Birds of a Feather,” is also scheduled for public shows at the Imagination Celebration.

Young Conservatory classes for children ages 8 to 17 continue at SCR under the supervision of Karen Hensel, a longtime company member of the resident theater who also directs the theater’s Adult Conservatory and Professional Conservatory.

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Meanwhile, SCR’s Mainstage and Second Stage offerings this month are both suitable for families. The annual Mainstage production of “A Christmas Carol,” a show for ages 8 and up, continues through Christmas Eve. And on Wednesday, SCR will premiere “La Posada Magica,” a play by Octavio Solis with songs by Marcos Loya.

It follows a 14-year-old girl as she takes part in Las Posadas , , the Mexican Christmas candlelight procession that commemorates Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging, and unwittingly rekindles the girl’s belief in the season. The play is recommended for adults and children ages 8 and up and will run through Dec. 24.

As for Doyle, she’s developing a number of new projects, including what she calls a “huge” theatrical adaptation of “Jump!,” Van Dyke Parks’ book about folk character Brer Rabbit.

“It’s Southern, it’s folk tales, it’s fabulous,” Doyle said recently during a phone conversation from her Santa Ana home. But, she added, “it’s not a fairy tale; these characters are rough around the edges.”

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Doyle says her two-act, 18-character musical will feature songs written and recorded by Parks. Because of its length and some dark images, Doyle expects the play to be suitable for ages 10 and up as well as adults. She’s not planning to premiere the piece at SCR and is looking into the possibility of a large-scale production with a national touring company.

In addition, Doyle and her frequent musical collaborator Diane King Vann are preparing for publication several works they have previously written and produced through SCR, including “Pinocchio” and a bilingual version of “Clean Up Your Act!” Doyle also is consulting with teachers at several elementary schools, helping develop theater programs for students.